When the Past Returns
by butterfly collective
Summary: Matt enters into a partnership with his daddy's former ranch hand but what happens when the past reemerges? Not my characters just borrowing them for fun.
1. Chapter 1

**Southern Texas, outside of Houston**

The young woman spurred her horse even faster as the wind blew wildly around her kicking up more than just dust. Her buckskin mare resisted her direction to move forward down the dirt trail at first.

But the young woman knew that they didn't have much time. So she squeezed her heels and yelled at Brandy to get moving again. Her dark hair streamed behind her as she tried to keep her eyes off the clouds that had moved from the horizon and darkened the sky.

She saw the faint sheen of green and knew they were in trouble. Summer thunderstorms weren't uncommon in southern Texas but then neither were tornados. She had no desire to get caught out in the middle of one so they were heading to the barn due west that had an old storm shelter. But it didn't look like she had much time and she still hadn't found her friend. He'd been out tending fence on the other side of the ranch. She'd volunteered to help him and the other hands do that and had been busy at it all day.

Looking up she saw the sky completely blacken, and she knew that rain and then hail would follow and then a tornado. She clucked to Brandy to run faster but this time the mare needed no prompting and picked up her cadence until she saw the familiar outline of the barn ahead. The two of them in tandem crossed the final pasture reaching it just as the first drops began to fall. She dismounted quickly before the mare completely stopped and then slapped her flank to get her to run to safety. Then holding her hat on her head, she ran towards the wooden just above the ground next to the barn.

"We don't have much time…"

She thought at first that was her friend and relief filled her that he had made it safely but as she turned to face him, she saw someone else. Someone equally familiar to her, the ranch foreman who opened the door against a gust of incoming wind as dust, leaves and other objects began to swirl around.

"Get moving…"

She followed him down the stairs to the shelter as the door slammed shut on both of them leaving them to sit there and wait until it passed.

* * *

><p><strong>About ten years later….<strong>

The sunlight shone brightly over the city of the Angels, which meant it was the perfect day for a barbecue. Even if it was held on the rooftop of one of Century City's tallest office buildings, where in a couple of hours over 100 people would congregate to welcome back an old friend. The decorators had arrived earlier to begin to transform the office suite into the perfect spot to do just that.

Matt and Uncle Roy got out of the elevator and entered the lobby of the penthouse suite which housed their private investigation agency. Usually a line of secretaries rushed up to meet Matt as soon as he set foot inside the lobby but today they were focused on all the activity that was done in anticipation of the party.

Buffet tables with all kinds of refreshments were set up and Chris had been working on the sound system to play country western of course to match the cowboy theme of the event. There would be room next to the helipad for those guests who were so moved to kick up their heels and dance.

The guest of honor would be one of Matt's buddies Tex Winston who had been the ranch foreman for some years on his daddy's ranch and now headed a successful corporation dealing in real estate, not to mention owning more than a half dozen horse farms and ranches. He had dropped in L.A. to look into a business deal that would involve his company, a couple others and potentially a subsidiary of Houston Enterprises. They had even talked about forming a partnership and so far, the president of operations, Murray Chase had given that plan high marks.

Matt and Roy had just returned to town after successfully completing another investigation, tracking down and returning some stolen jewelry to a countess who had been staying in San Francisco. They had to help the police and Interpol crack a theft ring to do that and they celebrated in good style on the flight back to L.A. A half dozen prospective clients had contacted them during the flight to set up meetings to track down their missing jewelry.

The two of them had been working back to back cases for the past six months, virtually nonstop since Matt's engagement to Elizabeth had gone kaput. He told himself he did it to address his caseload but he also did it to keep busy and move on with his life. But since his uncle had joined him in the business, he had found that their partnership had led to even greater success. He had even thought about hiring additional investigators to handle his caseload.

Matt hit the wet bar and poured a glass of Scotch before he went to the roof to supervise the barbecue. He'd flown in Tex's favorite brand of beef just for the occasion and pretty soon, he'd be cooking it up, the least he could do for a man who taught him so much. The guy who had mentored him while he'd grown up on his daddy's ranch and now was interested in partnering with one of his subsidiaries. But they'd talk business later and party first.

Roy carried out a bag of charcoal and a glass of his freshly squeezed mango juice.

"How's it looking?"

Matt looked over at his uncle as he dropped the sack.

"Almost ready to cook more than a hundred pounds of prime beef," Matt said, "but nothing but the best for Tex."

Roy nodded and stood beside him as Matt sipped his drink.

"Your daddy hired him when you were growing up," Roy said, "made him foreman after he proved to be a quick study."

"Yeah he did and he taught me everything I know about ranching."

Tex had worked on his daddy's ranch until Matt had headed off to Rice University and he had gone into business for himself. It hadn't taken him long to be a major success and Matt had read about his accomplishments in the financial publications. But when he and Matt caught up with each other, they had always talked about life back on the ranch

"Looks like it's going to be a great homecoming," Roy said.

Matt nodded because the guests would be arriving soon not long before Tex himself would believing he was attending a business meeting.

Roy sipped from his glass.

"So where's C.J.?"

Matt sighed.

"She's working late on one of those cases she's picked up," he said, "She should be here later."

* * *

><p>C.J. put down her phone after she talked to a prospective client about how to fill out a temporary restraining order against her boyfriend. What she wanted to include in her legal advice was a referral to her kickboxing instructor who could teach the woman some really useful skills but she stuck to the issue of the restraining order. She heard a joke more than once at the clinic. What's a TRO someone would ask, to which someone else would answer, a piece of paper with writing on it. Not really all that far from the truth, C.J. knew but she had to keep her opinions on the matter to herself.<p>

She looked around the crowded office building from her cubicle at all the activity around her. Other attorneys and paralegals who also volunteered at the free legal clinic just like she did a couple afternoons a week and they seemed to love it just as much as she did. Following the advice of her sorority sisters, Carolyn and Maureen had proven to be the right move to make, it certainly got her mind off of other things. Like how her relationship with her best friend Matt had changed since his uncle arrived in town a year ago and Matt's busted engagement about six months after that. Since she had started working with him at Houston Enterprises and then his investigative firm, they had been partners through thick and thin but no she felt as if Roy had taken over that role at least with the investigative firm.

That and a new flavor of the week in the form of various women in distress who had walked in and out of Matt's life including his fiancée Elizabeth. After all, hadn't Matt rescued her from some crisis too? But she was long gone, after some psycho with a grudge against Matt had crashed the wedding and the bride had finally thrown up her hands and said, enough.

But with all the changes, C.J. decided she needed to explore her options and one of them was that she wanted to do more with her law degree. When she'd been growing up back in Texas, she and her best friend Julia had wanted to start a law firm to help women in need of good legal counsel but Julia had gotten sick and dropped out of Harvard School of Law. She had created a charitable foundation to help women and children and accomplished a lot of great things up to the day she died not too long ago.

During the last real case she and Matt had worked together. Except for the brief period of time she put into that extortion case which nearly got her and her latest convertible blown sky high. She wondered if that had anything to do with why she'd spent most of her company time in her office.

Olivia walked up to her carrying a stack of files on her way to her office. She smiled at C.J. who returned to typing on her laptop.

"So you got her straightened out on the paperwork she needs for court?"

"Yeah…she'll need to take it to the judge," C.J. said, "but I think there's grounds for its approval."

Olivia nodded.

"So how many more cases are you working on?"

C.J. paused. She had picked up a couple extra ones when she first arrived.

"About six, though I'm ready to close out two from last month," she said, "so I can handle a couple more."

Olivia just shook her head at her.

"You really enjoy putting in this time?"

C.J. nodded.

"Yeah I do," she said, "It's been a while since I've done this kind of law and I think I missed it."

"Well, you've been a godsend," Olivia said, "We've really enjoyed having you here."

"It's a nice break from the routine," C.J. said, "I've been doing mostly office work since Roy's moved here and I've done that kind of work since I started there. I needed to break that routine."

Olivia looked at her carefully.

"Did you tell him how you feel about needing a change?"

C.J. shrugged.

"He and Roy have been out of town on a case past couple of weeks," she said, "and they work great together. It's nice to see that they healed the estrangement between their families."

And C.J. meant that, it's just that she missed her close partnership with Matt and how they'd worked on cases together. Even when the work had been dangerous, and actually that added a bit of thrill to what they did. They'd both had faced being patched up from bullet wounds and other injuries but then they both had attracted danger in their romantic relationships.

"But he's back in town now isn't he?"

C.J. nodded.

"Throwing a party for an old friend," she said, "I'm supposed to be there soon."

Olivia smiled at her.

"Why don't you head on out now," she said, "Not much left to do here now."

C.J. sighed, picking up a stack of folders.

"Because he's not my friend…"

* * *

><p>Matt looked around for his friend but couldn't find her. The party was in full swing, the guest of honor was the center of attention but C.J. hadn't yet arrived yet to join in the festivities. She had told him earlier that she might be late but that she'd show up if she could get away. Matt had responded that he hoped she would make an effort to appear, that Tex would be disappointed if she didn't show up.<p>

He hadn't seen much of his best friend in recent weeks. But then he and Roy had been handling some cases including the recent jewelry heists. She'd been busy during her off time working at a Legal Aid clinic in downtown helping people with her expertise. Chris had told him that she had really gotten into her volunteer work and spent more and more time there handling cases.

Tex stood in the middle of the lounge area nursing a Scotch and talking to a couple of guests. Roy walked up to Matt.

"Looks like the guest of honor's having a good time," he said, "I'd say this shindig was a success."

Matt sipped his own drink.

"He's really done well for himself," he said, "and it's going to help us out with that project."

"Murray's really excited about it."

Matt nodded, remembering how animated his corporate president had been when he'd found out and how enthusiastic he's been ever since. He saw him right now entertaining two young women no doubt with his anecdotes about some of the business traveling he'd done for the conglomerate. One person was still missing here…

"I wonder what's keeping C.J."

"I hadn't seen her," Roy said, "Maybe she's tied up with the clinic or in traffic."

Matt thought that was certainly possible but then again, she hadn't been all that enthusiastic about the party or showing up. But then she'd been a bit distant when he had shared with her his partnership with Tex and the plans for the company. Always trying to change the subject or saying she had something to do. She kept up all her work at the office and that part of the agency had been running smooth as silk, it's just that he didn't see her as often as he'd like and the time they spent together had decreased even more so since his aborted wedding.

"Hi Matt, so this is where you've been hiding."

He looked up to see Crystal walking towards him in a cocktail dress. They had gone out a couple of times for dinner but there hadn't been much in the way of sparks between them.

"Enjoying the party?"

Crystal shrugged.

"Texas barbecue is cute but it's really not my thing," she said, "but I've got this great club we can check out."

Now he knew it wasn't going to work out between them. Matt loved nothing more than barbecuing with his closest friends, enjoying great food and kicking back and having a good time. It helped to relieve the stress of the day job and it reminded him of growing up on the ranch back home.

"No thanks Crystal," he said, "After the party I'm heading on home. Got an early morning business meeting…"

She frowned and then walked off. Matt had put himself back in circulation about a month after his broken engagement and it had been like he hadn't ever left only it asn't as fulfilling as it had been…maybe he had liked being in a steady relationship too much even though it hadn't worked out.

He walked up to where Tex had been talking to some folks but now he stood alone. He smiled when he saw Matt.

"Great party…You are definitely your father's son."

"Well my daddy always loved a good barbecue with friends and even some enemies."

Tex chuckled.

"I remember when he held one for that company that outbid him on that well project," he said, "Wanted to show there were no hard feelings."

"They wound up joining up on a project later on that made them both a lot of money."

Tex slapped Matt on the back and shook his head.

"I really miss Bill but he raised a great son," he said, "but where's your better half?"

Matt still didn't know.

"She had some work to finish at the clinic where she volunteers but she really should have been here by now."

"I'm sure she's just lost track of the time," Tex said, "You know how she gets when she's busy on something."

"Yeah she does that sometimes still."

Tex sipped his drink.

"How's she doing anyway," he said, "She ever find someone or is she too busy working."

Matt stroked his chin with his thumb.

"No she's been focusing on her work here and at the clinic."

Tex shook his head.

"All work and no play…she's certainly pretty enough, always has been."

Matt couldn't argue with that. She was a pretty girl who had ripened into an even more beautiful young woman. But C.J. never seemed to notice that much, she had always been focused on her intellectual gifts.

Not that she had ever lacked for a man's attention and like him had loved people she'd lost to a killer and although unlike him she'd never been engaged, she'd been close a couple of times. Lately, she'd spent a lot of her free time with some old friends including her sorority sisters Maureen and Carolyn, going out for drinks and dancing or concerts at the Hollywood Bowl.

Some weekends when he'd been out of town on a case, she'd stayed on his ranch and rode the horses there, up into the hills where at the top lay a panoramic view of the valley. He felt tension arise in him as he once again reminded himself that he hadn't seen as much of her as he would have liked. The dinners out at their favorite eateries, spending hours talking and laughing, and occasionally out on the dance floor. Her body molded to his in a slow dance, her head against him, his hands resting on her back.

Not enough times like those in a while and he kept telling himself he would remedy that if he could get her to stand still for long enough to tell her.

But all he knew right now was she wasn't here and it didn't look like she was going to make an appearance at all.

* * *

><p>C.J. leaned back in her chair at the Mexican restaurant in Santa Monica, sipping from her margarita Not that there would be too many of those because she had to drive home after all. Maureen and Olivia had joined her for after hours food and drinks after they had all finished the cases they'd been working on at the clinic and saw how late it had become.<p>

She knew she should have gone to the shindig back at the office that Matt threw for Tex, because she told him she'd drop by there after she was finished at the clinic. But she couldn't get in her car and head on down there. No, she just didn't feel like it suddenly and instead accepted an invite with her friends to go to the restaurant. They'd eaten the highly renowned tamales and sipped their margaritas talking about their social lives.

Maureen had started dating again after finding out that her last boyfriend who told her he was separated from his wife had returned to her. Olivia had reunited with an old boyfriend at a high school reunion and wondered if she might be leaving L.A. C.J.'s love life wasn't nearly so complicated. She'd had relationships with a couple guys since she found out the man she loved, Robert Tyler, was a cold-blooded killer. But they hadn't lasted long because she'd just become so buried in her volunteering at the clinic.

"I'm going to get another tattoo…"

Both C.J. and Olivia looked at Maureen who had made that sudden proclamation. Maureen nodded in response.

"It's going to be butterfly this time."

Her first one had been a rose on her ankle, though C.J. noticed that most of the work had gone into designing and filling in the subtle shades of coloring for the thorny stem than the ruby red petals on the flowers. A commentary by Maureen on her love life, clearly.

Hopefully the butterfly symbolized the reemergence of her friend from her pessimism that she'd never find a man who got her and her crazy schedule. C.J. didn't think Maureen would have much trouble because she was very attractive, funny and always up for a good time despite her no-nonsense professionalism.

Maureen had even dated Matt for a couple of months but it hadn't worked out though the two were still friendly.

"Why don't you join us C.J.," Maureen coaxed, "Don't you want a tattoo?"

C.J. shook her head.

"I can't think of any image on my body I'd want to look at the rest of my life," she said, "but Maureen if you want one, I think you should go for it."

Maureen nodded.

"Already made my appointment," she said, "Ivory's doing it, she's the best on the Westside."

Olivia shook her head.

"So what if you do go out again and get naked with some guy," she said, "and he takes one look at it and doesn't like it?"

Maureen shrugged, sipping her margarita.

"That's his problem then," she said, "I like it and that's what matter. I'm through trying to do what the men want."

Olivia clapped her hands.

"Finally…"

C.J. was happy that her friend had decided to stop pleasing men at her own expense. If it took her getting a new tattoo to celebrate that decision, then more power to her. She sipped her drink, trying to remember the last time she'd been out with a guy. After breaking off with Jack, she'd been asked out by a couple of lawyers she ran into at various court appearances and functions but had turned those invites down. She just had been so focused on what she'd been doing and the men who had asked her out hadn't shown enough to cause her to reenter the dating game.

She hadn't even had time to spend with her best friend but then their lives had diverged before when she'd gone off to law school at Harvard and he'd gone off to join the military. This felt different because it wasn't about physical distance between them but something even more difficult to bridge.

His family had returned in the form of Roy and then Will and she loved both men fiercely. She had been just as distraught as Matt had been when Will had turned suicidal and had worked with Matt and Roy to help him readjust to life outside of a prisoner at war camp where time had been measured by the cycles of the moon and sun not by clocks and calendars.

But she had sensed a shift in that the three of them had blood tying them to the same family whereas C.J. had no one left alive in her family tree.

"So C.J. why aren't you at Matt's party?"

She stared down at her glass wondering if she should get it refilled.

"I didn't feel like going," she said, "besides it's for his friend Tex."

"Oh yeah…the guy that used to be a ranch hand on his family ranch," Maureen said, "Must have been like a member of his family."

C.J. ordered her second margarita.

"I guess so…look I just didn't feel like going," she said, "I've been working hard and then with the volunteering."

"But you like that don't you," Olivia piped in.

"Yes…I do but this is much more relaxing than that party would be."

C.J. reached for some chips to dip in some salsa while her friends watched. Maureen broke the silence first.

"What's up with this Tex guy?"

C.J. just looked at her.

"Nothing...I'm just not close to him like Houston."

Maureen and Olivia looked at each other.

"We can see that," Maureen said, "but didn't you grow up on the neighboring ranch?"

C.J. sighed as the waitress brought her a fresh drink.

"Yes…but I didn't spend a lot of time with him…he was the Houston's foreman."

Maureen shot her a look but appeared to drop the line of questioning.

"Well you know Matt," she said, "He loves to throw parties for his friends and family."

C.J. knew that very well about the man she'd known most of her life after all. She sipped her drink and found the tension in her muscles dissipating. Then she heard her phone buzz again. She reached for it and saw Matt's number on the display. She looked at her friends.

"I guess I better take this," she said, "I'll be right back."

* * *

><p>Matt waited for C.J. to pick up the phone or at least to get her voice mail. The party was winding down and she still hadn't appeared. Where was she, it wasn't like her to not at least call and tell him she had a change of plans.<p>

"Houston?"

He sighed and went to sit on a chair out near the barbecue.

"Where are you," he said, "I thought you were going to come."

"Houston…I'm sorry but I had to work so late and then a couple other friends and I went out to dinner."

"C.J…you know how important this party was…it's our way of welcoming Tex back to L.A. and you didn't even show up."

He heard her sigh on the other end.

"Houston…I'm sorry and it's not personal but I just needed to spend some time with my friends."

He leaned back in his chair.

"Okay…then why didn't you at least call…so I would know you were at least okay?"

"Houston…I'm not a child okay," she said, "I can take care of myself."

"I didn't say that…I was worried about you and Tex asked about you."

A pause followed from her end.

"C.J…?"

"I'm here…look I'm in the middle of dinner and then I'm heading home…I got that court appearance tomorrow for Murray."

"So I won't see you?"

"Houston…you were out of town the past week and I'll be by the office after I got to court so we'll catch up then."

"I've got that meeting with Tex and a couple other backers in the morning," he said, "I was hoping you'd be there."

"I got court but maybe if I finish early…"

He ran his hand through his hair.

"No…it's okay…maybe we can catch lunch together."

"Maybe…look I've got to get back," she said, "I'll see you sometime tomorrow."

He heard her click off her phone and just looked at his own for a moment before getting up to go talk to Roy and Tex.

* * *

><p>C.J. returned to the booth where they'd been eating and both of her friends looked up at her.<p>

"So…you're deserting us to go to the party?"

C.J. shook her head and picked up her drink.

"I explained to Matt what happened," she said, "and that I'll see him tomorrow after court."

Maureen shook her head.

"That's cold C.J."

C.J. narrowed her eyes.

"How so…he had a lot of people at his party, more than enough to make Tex feel welcome here."

Maureen just looked at her.

"Come on…you know he wanted you there," she said, "You're very important to him."

C.J. sighed.

"I know that but I just didn't feel like partying."

Olivia looked at her dead on.

"Oh come off it, you just didn't want to see Tex."

C.J. blinked her eyes in surprise.

"Where did you get that idea?"

Both Maureen and Olivia looked at each other.

"What…you think I've got some problem with him?"

Olivia shrugged.

"We didn't say it, you just did."

That caused C.J. to fall into silence. She took a careful sip from her margarita and then looked at the two women.

"I just don't like him…that's all."

Maureen leaned forward.

"Why…?"

C.J. shook her head.

"It doesn't matter…just call it a personality conflict."

"Did you tell Matt about this personality conflict," Maureen asked.

C.J. shook her head again.

"No need to tell him anything," she said, "Our paths haven't crossed in some years."

Olivia frowned.

"But they're crossing now and if there's some reason why you don't like him, don't you think you should tell Matt about it?"

C.J bit her lip and shook her head.

"No…it's just something that happened years ago…I just don't want to be around him."

Maureen snorted.

"That's going to be difficult if you and Matt are working with him."

C.J.'s body tensed.

"We aren't working together," she said, "Matt and Murray will be handling their joint project."

Olivia shrugged.

"That'll work but what happened anyway," she asked.

Maureen folded her arms.

"Yeah if you had some kind of problem with the guy, shouldn't Matt know about it?"

C.J. just looked at the both of them sensing they were trying to push her down a path she didn't want to go.

"Look I don't want to talk about Houston or Tex or the party," she said, "So Olivia, tell us about whether or not you'll be packing up and leaving L.A…"

And just like that she had changed the subject.

* * *

><p>Matt returned to his house after finishing his daily ocean swim. He loved to get up at the crack of dawn and hit the water before he could tell himself it was too cold. A few strokes into a couple of breaking waves and he remembered what he loved about his long swims. They allowed him to focus on his swimming rather than anything outside of the ocean.<p>

He'd left the office just before midnight after Tex had headed back to the Beverly Wilshire Hotel and his suite. Matt then got in his car and headed back to the beach house to call it a night.

Sleep had come readily enough because his fatigue from the flight home after his latest case and all the activity afterward had caught up with him. But his last thought before he closed his eyes had been C.J. and how she had just bailed on his party. When he had asked her about it and why she hadn't called, she had grown defensive. More so than usual anyway, the past six months there had been this kind of friction between them he couldn't figure out let alone understand. She didn't seem to notice it but went about life as normal, well except for all the volunteer work she did at the clinic. He had been glad that she found an avenue to use her legal expertise because he knew that the work at the office didn't really challenge her. He missed her being his partner in his caseload as much as he enjoyed working with his uncle but she seemed too distant to approach about it.

And last night he thought, again as he had swum through the water, it had reared up again about the party…or maybe it'd been about the guest of honor. He tried to think back to the relationship between C.J. and Tex and it had always seemed amiable going back to when Tex had first been hired. In fact, she had followed him around quite a bit while helping out on the ranch. You'd think she would have been excited to come to the party to see him again but she hadn't shown up at all.

He hit the shower and while wearing his robe, his hair still damp, he cooked up some eggs and hash browns for breakfast which filled him up nicely after the vigorous swim. This morning, he planned to meet with Tex in the conference room and begin the preliminaries of their partnership.

His phone rang then and he thought it might be C.J. giving him an update before heading to court or Chris from the office about some business.. But the phone number didn't look familiar.

"Hello…this is Houston…"

"Matt is that you?"

"Yeah Tex…Listen I'll see you at the office…"

"I'm not going to be there," he said, "I'm…at the police station. I was arrested this morning."

Matt's eyes widened in shock not believing what he'd just heard.

"What…why?"

Tex paused and Matt could hear from the background noise there were others nearby.

"I..I can't tell you but I need someone to bail me out," he said, "and I'll probably need an attorney…just to get this straightened out. It's just a mistake…a misunderstanding."

Matt had to agree with him because he couldn't think about anything Tex would have done to warrant him getting arrested. After all, he had headed back to the hotel after the party, this…this just had to be a mistake.

"Listen Tex…you hold on tight…I'll be down there…with an attorney…I know a lieutenant there who will help us figure out what happened."

More silence, then a sigh.

"Okay…look I'm sorry about this," Tex said, "but I swear I didn't do anything wrong."

"I know that…I'll be right there as soon as I secure any bail."

"Thanks…"

Matt hung up knowing he had to get Tex out of jail first and then find out what happened but like Tex said, it had to be some horrible mistake. He reached for his cell phone to call C.J. or at least leave a message on her phone to meet him at the police station as soon as possible to help him get to the bottom of what happened to Tex.

Then he got dressed and sprinted to his car to head to the station.


	2. Chapter 2

C.J. didn't have a chance to check her phone messages until after she left the courtroom. She'd spent the past hour trying to get a motion filed for Houston Enterprises heard by a judge. The tentative ruling had gone in her favor but it would take another day before the permanent written order was filed by the court. She headed on out to the coffee spot across the street from the courthouse to get some java before sitting back and reading through a temporary restraining order application filled out by a client.

The woman was barely out of high school and it hadn't taken her long to meet a real piece of work in a much older man who became her boyfriend. He appeared charming at first, all players did but he showed his abusive controlling side soon enough after she'd fallen under his spell. She hadn't known any better, he'd been her first serious boyfriend. But Gloria, her name was had finally broken away from her abuser, Ted and had come to the clinic for help in filing a restraining order. C.J. couldn't promise her that it'd stop Ted from coming after her but there'd be punitive actions for him this time if he did.

Gloria had just nodded and they had started the work of putting the chronology of her relationship with him into a declaration for the paperwork. So she was going to proof it during a coffee break and drop it off at the clinic for her client.

She purchased her latte and then sat down at a table outside on the sidewalk and then looked at her cell phone. Several messages including one from Matt, maybe she should return that call first.

"C.J. you got my message…"

She sipped her latte.

"Houston, I just called you," she said, "I haven't checked my messages yet."

He paused and she heard a lot of activity in the background.

"Houston where are you?"

"I'm at the downtown police station," he said, "Tex is in jail."

She closed her eyes and a lot of emotions rushed through her just then but she focused on the phone call.

"What did they arrest him on?"

Matt paused again.

"I don't know…but it has to do with a young woman. That's all I've found out from the watch commander."

"What do you mean a young woman," she asked, "Did he do something…"

"He didn't do anything," Matt said, "It has to be mistake. He was at the party last night until just before midnight."

"Houston…what if it's not a mistake?"

She heard more activity on the other end.

"It's got to be," Matt said, "I've known this man my whole life. Look can you head on down to the station when you're done in court?"

She hesitated, wanting to tell him no, that she couldn't do that but he really believed in the guy's innocence and she had already made her mind before she told him she'd be there in 15 minutes.

Matt clicked off his cell phone and closed his eyes, relieved that C.J. had gotten his message and that she was on her way here. Tex clearly needed an attorney because when he tried to secure bail for him, he discovered it had been set for $1 million. What crimes did police think that Tex had committed?

He'd sought out Lt. Hoyt immediately after receiving that information because the police wouldn't give him much information on the arrest. But Hoyt had been in a meeting with police management since early that morning. One of the sergeants said he had been popping the Rolaids before he even walked inside the conference room, not sure when he'd be leaving it.

So Matt had to wait even longer to find out what happened to Tex and why the bail had been set so high. He had hoped C.J. might be able to get the answers that he couldn't by acting as his lawyer at least for the time being. She had proven to be quite adept at maneuvering her way through the criminal side of law as its civil side thanks to her experience interning with one of the best defense attorneys in the business, F. Lee Bailey.

She wasn't driving from too far away so she should be here pretty soon, he thought but anxiety filled him along with a lot of unanswered questions. He looked up then and saw Mac, a detective who had been an officer when he had met him through now retired Lt. Vince Novelli.

"Hey Houston, what are you doing here?"

Matt sighed.

"An old friend of mine just got arrested and I can't find out what the charges were," he said, "but he's never had any criminal record."

Mac scratched the back of his neck.

"What's his name? Maybe I can find something out for you."

"Tex Winston…he was arrested sometime after he left a party I held last night."

Mac paused, thinking.

"That's a familiar name," he said, "He's a businessman right?"

Matt nodded.

"Okay…oh yeah…he was arrested this morning on a felony warrant."

Matt's brows arched.

"That sounds crazy…what were the charges?"

Mac shrugged.

"Don't know but they'd have to be pretty serious for them to go pick him up like that," he said, "Plus they set a $1 million bail on him."

"I don't know why they did that either," Matt said, "unless the charges were very serious. But it's got to be a mistake."

Mac looked at him soberly.

"I don't think so Houston," he said, "You know we're good at our jobs and very thorough with departmental procedure including before we arrest people."

Matt didn't know what to say to that because he knew the department was like he said but no, Tex couldn't have committed any crimes.

He heard footsteps in the hallway and looked up to see C.J. walking towards him, dressed in her lawyerly attire.

"C.J…I'm glad you're here."

She looked at him.

"I came as soon as I could," she said, "So what have you found out?"

Matt looked over at Mac.

"Not much…."

C.J. smiled at the detective.

"How are you doing," she said, "Long time no see."

Mac smiled at the lawyer.

"Yeah…since that dancing we did at that club last month," he said, "You sure have some hot moves on you."

C.J. chuckled and Matt could tell that Mac was into his best friend.

"So you two have been going out?"

C.J. shook her head.

"We're just friends," she said, "We both like to dance."

Mac agreed.

"One hell of a lady here," he said, "Well I got to go, good luck with your friend because he's probably going to need it."

Matt and C.J. watched Mac walk back to his office. She turned back towards Matt.

"So what are they holding him on," she asked, "His bail's huge."

Matt sighed.

"I know and I can't find out why," he said, "just that he was arrested on some felony warrant."

C.J.'s face grew serious.

"Did you ask Hoyt about it?"

"No…he's been in a management meeting all morning," he said, "I plan to hit him up when he gets out."

"He might not know much more Houston."

"Yeah but he can find out," Matt said, "It's all got to be some mistake."

C.J. grew silent.

"Houston, what if it isn't?"

He narrowed his eyes at her.

"Well of course it's got to be," he said, "I've known Tex most of my life. I worked with him and he lived on our ranch. I just can't imagine him committing any crimes."

"I know but what if he's guilty?"

Matt didn't like the sound of that and she knew it. But the truth was that he didn't know everything about his buddy. Not like he thought he did.

"Of what…we don't even know what he's been accused of doing?"

C.J. saw the look in his eyes that she'd seen so many times when someone Matt cared about had been arrested or accused of committing a crime. Most of the time they were innocent and had been framed but sometimes…they'd been guilty. Just like Robert had been committing murders and kidnappings to enhance his career advancement and hadn't been the victim as they originally believed.

They waited a while longer and then saw Hoyt walk towards them as if he weren't surprised to see them there.

"Hi you two," he said, "I thought you'd show up."

Matt rubbed his forehead.

"A friend of mine got arrested," he said, "Tex Winston."

Hoyt nodded.

"I just heard a briefing on that case," he said, "They arrested him this morning at his hotel on a felony warrant."

"I know that much but for what?"

Hoyt hesitated and then gestured for the two of them to follow him back to his office. It was at the end of the hallway and had a window view of downtown L.A.. Matt and C.J. sat down near his desk. Hoyt didn't appear very happy and Matt braced himself.

"A county probationary officer came forward to police and said he had an inappropriate sexual relationship with one of her charges. She was a minor ward of the court."

Matt sighed.

"How old was she?"

"About 16 when it started."

Matt rubbed his forehead while C.J. just closed her eyes for a moment. Hoyt reached into his shirt pocket for his Rolaids.

"The girl told police detectives that she didn't want the relationship with him."

Matt clenched his jaw a million questions going through his mind at once but he knew where to start.

"Where did he meet this girl?"

"She was working at a stable where he was working in San Diego," Hoyt said, "He was putting in some volunteer time there and she was assigned to him."

C.J. took a deep breath.

"Who is she Hoyt?"

Hoyt picked up a file and just idly flipped through it.

"Lindsey Davis," he said, "She was a referral from juvenile probation to put in some community service for burglary and petty theft as part of her sentence."

Matt sighed.

"So she has a record…"

Hoyt nodded.

"She's been picked up a couple times and taken to juvenile hall," Hoyt said, "This last time she could have been sent to CYA but the judge decided to take a softer approach."

"So she came forward to her probationary officer with these allegations?"

Hoyt nodded again, eying Matt carefully.

"How well do you know this guy anyway?"

Matt pursed his lips.

"I've known him most of my life Hoyt," he said, "Tex taught me a lot about ranching. Looked after me when my father was away, saved my life a time or two."

"He never had any problems?"

"No, didn't even drink a lot or get involved in fights," Matt said, "He broke up a few of them before they got out of hand."

Hoyt looked over at C.J. who had remained silent.

"What about you," he asked, "You going to call him a model citizen too."

She just looked at him and didn't say anything.

"That's why his bail's set so high Houston," Hoyt said, "He's also being evaluated as a flight risk since he's got his own airplane and a ton of cash."

Matt nodded, realizing that both would ensure high bail.

"There will be a bail hearing when he's extradited to San Diego but don't count on getting it lowered."

Matt looked at C.J.

"Well we can still pay the bond and get him out of jail."

Hoyt sighed.

"You'd better tell him to get the best attorney he can buy," he said, "He's going to need it."

"He's already got a great attorney," Matt said, "C.J. maybe we should get ready to head on down to San Diego."

She just looked at him.

"Houston, I don't think…"

"C.J. we might be there a couple of days…maybe longer."

She folded her arms.

"Houston, I think Tex is going to need a crack defense attorney," she said, "I don't have that kind of experience."

"We'll deal with that but first we got to get down to San Diego and get him out of jail."

She looked like she was about to say something but she just nodded and stood up.

"I'll go see about the extradition paperwork then."

She left the two men alone to do that and Hoyt just looked at his friend.

"Houston, she's right," he said, "Your friend's in serious trouble."

Matt didn't need to be reminded of that but he just looked at Hoyt before leaving his office.

* * *

><p>C.J. went to the clerk's office to pick up the extradition papers. Within the hour, Tex would be loaded up in a van while handcuffed and shackled along with other arrestees to be transported to San Diego. She and Matt would be driving down there to spring him from custody.<p>

She didn't know how she felt about that. When she'd heard about the charges that Tex faced, she hadn't been nearly as surprised as Matt. But she'd seen the expression on her friend's face when he had heard that Tex was facing charges of unlawful sex with a minor. Disbelief and more than a hint of fear because though Matt would say that Tex hadn't done anything wrong, maybe inside his instincts were telling him otherwise.

The clerk told her to wait a moment while the documents were printed out and she looked around at the activity of the station. In the midst of it, she was left with the prospect of having to tell Matt she didn't know if she could represent Tex for any length of time. But then she didn't think she could let him down and she knew that's what she would be doing if she said no.

Matt walked up to her a moment later while she still waited for the paperwork. She gave him a tentative smile and he rubbed her shoulder with one of his hands.

"I told Chris to book us the suite at the Del Coronado."

She just looked at him as he clearly struggled with what had happened but she knew he'd be all business when it came to investigating the allegations raised against his friend. Matt wouldn't ever leave it up to the police or prosecutors to decide whether he should be taken to trial or not.

"Houston, this is going to be really difficult," she said, "We're going to have to get the police reports and the girl's statements."

Matt watched as the clerk handed C.J. a stack of papers.

"You do that and I'll make all the arrangements," he said, "We'll leave later this afternoon."

She looked down at the paperwork.

"They're not going to let us see him until tomorrow morning," she said, "when the judge holds the bail hearing."

"That'll give us time when we get there to do some research."

She put one of her hands on her hip and looked at him.

"Houston, there's not much we can do until we read the police reports and we won't get those until the court hearing."

Matt rubbed his chin with his thumb thoughtfully.

"I want to find out what the hell is going on here C.J."

Her face softened.

"I know but it might not be what you want Houston," she said, "You have to prepare for the fact that he might be guilty."

She could tell even the thought of that made Matt ill and she understood that. But he might have to face reality pretty soon. He was so sure his lifelong friend would do no wrong let alone break the law but she didn't share that belief. She ran her hand through her hair standing there with him, knowing better.

She wondered if she should just tell him she didn't want to serve as Tex's lawyer and how he'd take that if she did. Things could get even more complicated real quick if she did that.

So she just picked up the stack of papers, flashed him a look and they both left the police station together.

* * *

><p>Matt looked over at C.J. as they both drove along the highway heading to San Diego. He had reservations at the Del Coronado, a really nice hotel, not that they would have any time to appreciate that. They'd share a suite with plenty of place to work and a nice wet bar. He'd stayed there before when he had gone to conferences in San Diego in relation to his businesses and he remembered that like his office, the suite came with a hot tub just outside on the room surrounded by scenic greenery simulating a more exotic location.<p>

C.J. didn't talk much during the drive, focusing her attention on doing some reading in relation to her volunteer work at the clinic. He knew how much it meant to her and that she hated leaving in the middle of it. She was doing so as a favor to him and he appreciated it. She did have to drop by the clinic and leave paperwork for some of her clients along with instructions for Olivia who would be handling part of her caseload. She had told the other lawyer she wouldn't be gone long but Olivia had just said everything was fine and not to worry.

But C.J. would probably be thinking about what she wasn't doing there and she brought along some files to read which she told him she'd do on the drive up so it wouldn't interfere with researching Tex's case.

"What are you reading there?"

She didn't look up at him, her eyebrows knitted in concentration.

"One of my cases," she said, "A young girl named Gloria. She's getting a TRO against her boyfriend."

"He abused her?"

She nodded.

"Not at first but you know how it goes," she said, "He's very nice, concerned and then over time, he grew more controlling and possessive. It still took a while for him to hit her."

Matt pursed his lips. He knew all about domestic violence having had cases where unsolved murders had turned out to be done by the people closest to a husband or wife. Some of those had been after periods of physical and emotional abuse. Matt couldn't understand why a man would hurt a woman or terrorize her when he was supposed to love her but then he didn't understand a lot of things.

"But she left him…"

"Yeah after he broke an arm," she said, "but he wants her back hence the restraining order."

Matt knew that in reality, those legal documents didn't appear to be worth much more than the paper they were written on but at least the abuse or harassment would be considered a crime once a judge granted the order.

"C.J. no guy ever treated you like that did he?"

She paused, surprised at the question.

"No…I had a boyfriend once who tried to use a power trip on me but it never went that far."

"You'd tell me if it did wouldn't you?"

She bit her lip.

"Houston…yes I think I would but I'd also be worried about what you would do," she said, "that you might do something that might get you hurt or in jail."

Matt remembered again how well she knew him after their years of close friendship. He knew that just the thought of anyone hurting her made him ill and yes, those who had done that had gotten extra punishment as soon as he caught up with them. Usually with his fists.

"C.J. you don't need to worry about me," he said, "I can handle myself but I also know no one's going to hurt you and get away with it."

He looked over at her sideways and she appeared to accept his answer. She absently tucked a strand of hair behind her and that reminded him of something else, how incredibly beautiful she'd always been. Curly dark hair, hazel eyes and a perfect pair of lips on a svelte yet strong body, with curves….looks that ensured she never lacked for a man's attention. But underneath the surface, was her true beauty, kindness, and passion for everything she did and a great sense of humor. She had dressed casually like he did in faded jeans and a soft woolen short sleeved pink sweater.

"Houston I would worry and you know it," she said, "but I'm worried about you now too. I know you value your relationship with Tex but I think you need to be prepared for anything."

He sighed.

"C.J. I know but I'm trying to stay positive and that means that this is all one big mistake."

She didn't respond to that and looked out the window at the scenery flashing by instead. He wondered what was going on with her, why she didn't feel as strongly about Tex's innocence as he did but maybe that was part of being a lawyer representing someone charged with a serious crime.

Yes, that had to be it but as they drove closer to San Diego, her doubts that she hid beneath her smile nagged at him.


	3. Chapter 3

The drive to San Diego took just over two hours and it was late afternoon by the time Matt and C.J. arrived at the police station. Tex had already arrived and had been booked into the holdup there to await his hearing in front of a judge in the morning. The police sergeant told Matt and C.J. that they wouldn't be able to see him until morning. C.J. spoke up then and said she'd come to see him as his prospective legal counsel. She hadn't expected to say that but when she saw the expression on Matt's face, she decided that she could at least talk with him in jail.

So she left Matt and followed the sergeant towards the visiting section of the lockup and sat there waiting until two officers led Tex into the opposite side of the glass. He had been handcuffed and shackled but sat down to pick up a phone on his side while she did the same on hers.

"So Matt's got you working as my attorney?"

She paused, looking at him dressed in an orange jumpsuit. He looked edgy in his chair, his hand gripping the phone.

"I haven't decided yet," she said, "I'm surprised you would even pick me to represent you."

He looked at her.

"Why would you say such a thing," he said, "Of course I'd want a top attorney like yourself but I didn't do it."

"What is it that you didn't do?"

He sighed.

"I didn't behave improperly with that young girl," he said, "She's very confused about what happened. I was just trying to help her."

"Then why did you get arrested?"

He clenched his jaw.

"She made some…advances at me… I turned her down and she didn't like being rejected."

C.J. just sat there listening to him.

"I just didn't know how much until a police officer showed up where I stayed and said I needed to come down to answer some questions."

She leaned forward.

"Obviously they didn't like your answers if they slapped the cuffs on you and brought you here to face charges."

He shook his head.

"I didn't do it. It's just her way of getting back at me because I didn't give her what she wanted."

C.J. remained silent, as he kept talking.

"They don't any evidence either," he said, "It's just her word against mine and I'm not the one with the record."

"But you're the adult here Tex," she said, "Lindsey's just a child."

He sighed.

"I know that, that's why I didn't do it," he said, "I was just there trying to help kids get their lives together including Lindsey. She's had a difficult time."

C.J. imagined that was probably true, based on what little she'd read about Lindsey. The teenager did have a record but nothing involving violent crimes. And having a criminal record didn't make the girl a liar though whoever represented Tex at trial would do their damn best to paint her that way.

She didn't know if she wanted that person to be her.

She did know she needed to get her hands on the police reports but that would probably have to wait until the hearing in the morning.

"Tex, I'm only here because of Houston," she said, "because I have doubts that you're even being straight with me now."

He narrowed his eyes at her.

"You doubt what I'm telling you?"

She didn't look away from his face.

"Yes I do and you know why."

He just stared at her stone faced but she didn't drop her eyes either.

"What…what am I supposed to know?"

She didn't answer, just stared at him and then she started to hang up on him ready to get on out of there.

"C.J. wait…"

She turned her face toward him.

"You're not talking about what happened years ago…"

He looked at her as if he couldn't believe she had challenged him in that way. She just looked at him a moment and then signaled for the guard that she was ready to leave.

"I'll appear for you in court tomorrow and pick up the evidence," she said, "after reviewing it, I'll give you my decision."

"What about Matt?"

She sighed.

"It's going to be my decision," she said, "I'll see you in the morning."

With that, she hung up on him and didn't look back as she headed towards the door. Not watching while the deputies took him back into lockup.

* * *

><p>Matt waited for C.J. to return to the lobby so they could go to the hotel and get settled in there. He didn't know for sure how long they'd be staying in town but it'd be for at least a few days and he called the concierge with a list of everything he thought they'd need. The suite had an office set aside and the hotel management had ensured him that they would have access to whatever they needed while staying there.<p>

C.J. hadn't told him how long she'd represent Tex but at least she'd do it through the bail hearing and perhaps the arraignment. But after that, it'd be her own decision and he'd respect that. He had picked up something between the two of them but he wasn't sure what and she didn't seem that thrilled about being drawn into the situation.

But all that could wait until tomorrow.

Tonight they'd take it easy, he'd make sure of that and the hotel had a five star steak house. He couldn't help her much inside the courtroom and with the legal research but he'd do the investigative side and make he kept her well fed and that part of the hectic schedule would be reserved for rest and relaxation.

Right now when he looked up he saw her walking towards him, her face guarded. He stood up to greet her and she stopped midway.

"So how's he doing?"

She folded her arms.

"He's swearing he's innocent Houston," she said, "but I want to read the police reports before I do anything else and that won't be until tomorrow."

He sighed but with a smile on his face.

"Okay, well that leaves us tonight then," he said, "How about some dinner?"

She smiled back at him.

"I'd love some," she said, "Why don't we head to the hotel and get settled?"

He slid his arm around her as they walked out of the police station to their car. After leaving the parking lot, they headed back to the hotel which was only minutes away. She marveled at its architecture and the breathtaking ocean view around it while they walked into the lobby.

Moments later, they were up in the suite on the top floor and C.J .had just left her luggage in her bedroom where the bellhop had dropped it before heading straight to the wet bar.

"Need a Scotch?"

She looked at Matt and instead reached for some orange juice which she poured into a glass. Matt reached for his customary scotch on the rocks and they both sat on the sofa in the living area. She sipped it thoughtfully after kicking off her shoes and stretching her feet.

"Houston…I know I should be working right now…"

He shook his head.

"Oh no you don't counselor," he said, "It can wait until tomorrow morning. You've had a long day."

She leaned back against the sofa.

"Yeah maybe we could order room service tonight?"

He nodded.

"I think that steak house downstairs does deliveries," he said, "and there's a bottle of wine around here somewhere."

She smiled.

"That sounds perfect," she said, "and maybe some dessert."

"Anything for the lady…"

She liked the way he tried to take care of her just like she'd done for him. But she also knew that he wanted her to represent Tex and she hadn't promised anything beyond the bail hearing.

"Houston…I told you I'd evaluate the evidence against him and I'd make my decision."

He sighed, sipping his Scotch.

"I know but I just can't believe he's guilty," Matt said, "He's never had any trouble with the law before."

C.J. closed her eyes, trying to ease the tension out of her muscles. It had been a long day and it was catching up with her.

"Houston like I said, I'll read the reports but I just don't know what to think."

Matt's jaw clenched.

"You think he's guilty don't you?"

She left the couch and walked to refill her glass, not looking at him. He wondered about that because he could see she had doubts about Tex and he didn't know why. When she returned, this time she sat in a nearby chair and curled her feet underneath her in that appealing way of hers. But her face didn't answer his question and she wasn't giving him any words.

"C.J. if you do, maybe you'd better tell me."

She sighed, rubbing her forehead with one of her hands.

"I don't know…like I said, but I'm considering that possibility and maybe you should too."

He frowned, because he knew that he had been wondering that despite the fact that he had known Tex so long but each time he ventured down that path, he pulled himself back. Reminding himself of how impossible it'd be. C.J. looked at him in that way that told him she was reading him.

"Of course it's possible C.J. but it's also possible that something else happened," he said, "We have to look at every angle."

"I know that Houston, I'll do that but you need to as well."

He nodded, noticing that she suddenly looked tense.

"C.J. why don't you spend some time in the hot tub before we go to dinner," he said, "It'll relax you a bit."

She arched her brows at him.

"Houston…I'm fine…but I figure it'll make you feel like you're at home," she said, "and we both know you take your relaxation there without a stitch of clothing."

He felt his cheeks flush slightly.

"Why Ms Parsons…are you suggesting that I…"

She smiled brightly back at him.

"No…not at all…just give me a little warning first okay," she said, "Since we're sharing living space for a while."

He smiled, thinking he didn't mind that at all. They'd traveled together on business a lot in the past few years and shared suites many times but he had to admit that he felt happy enough that they were both here together. After all, in the past six months…they'd not been spending much time together at all. He had plans to remedy that but didn't know if she'd agree to them.

"I know Houston…and I'll warn you when I'm walking around in a robe."

His eyebrows waggled.

"That nice royal blue one right…?"

She just rolled her eyes already knowing that for whatever reason it had always been his favorite.

"Yeah…that one…"

He finished his Scotch and looked at her where she sat in the chair, looking pretty content.

"So how've you been otherwise," he said, "Everything going okay?"

She looked at him and nodded.

"Great…I've really enjoyed volunteering at the clinic," she said, "Not that I don't enjoy working at the office but…"

"You're not feeling all that excited about it," he guessed, "C.J. I'm sorry that you've been saddled so much with office work."

She shook her head.

"Houston…I don't mind, it needs to be done, it's just that…."

She wrapped her arms around herself and she looked suddenly vulnerable to him. Beautiful but guarded while she sat there, unconsciously protecting herself from anyone even him with her posture.

"You miss the field work…"

She nodded slightly.

"I guess I do," she said, "I miss the two of us working as a team like back in the beginning."

"I do too….and I know that's changed since Uncle Roy moved to L.A. and I never meant to make it seem like I was pushing you out."

She shook her head more vigorously.

"Oh no Houston…I'm so glad that you and Roy were able to reunite after that fallout between him and your father…Seeing you work together, it makes me happy."

He knew she meant what she said yet there was still an edge in her voice.

"I'm glad about that but that doesn't mean we still can't work together like we did," he said, "I'd like this case to be a new start."

She looked at him then, indecision in her eyes.

"Houston, I haven't decided to take it."

"I know but I meant what I said about us working together again."

She nodded clearly understanding that but the wariness in her eyes only became more noticeable.

"Okay…but I don't want to talk about this anymore," she said, "I'd like to put it aside for tonight."

He nodded.

"We can certainly do that," he said, "We'll put work aside for a while, won't even talk about it. So how's the volunteering been going?"

She smiled, her posture relaxing.

"I love it Houston," she said, "Like I said, I love using my training to help other people."

"You helped that woman get a restraining order," he said, "and try to take steps to protect herself."

She sighed.

"I don't know what'll do," she said, "If her boyfriend's beating her up, I don't know if he's going to obey a piece of paper telling him to stop."

He heard the hint of resignation in her voice.

"C.J. you did what you could do," he said, "and you helped her do what she needed to do for herself."

She nodded at that.

"It's hard when you feel like you're alone and there's nothing you can do," she said, "I didn't want Gloria to feel like that."

"She's lucky to have someone like you in her court."

C.J. rubbed the bridge in between her eyes.

"She's a strong woman who doesn't know that yet," she said, "I think she'll make it through fine. It's just going to be difficult."

Matt looked at her and noticed how tired she looked, but what she needed right now was to eat a delicious meal and focus on enjoying herself. He thought he could figure out a way for her to do that.

"I'll tell you what," he said, "Why don't we order ourselves up some dinner and we'll eat it out on the patio?"

She smiled at him.

"That sounds perfect," she said, "You order the food and I'll see if I can find some wine…some candles…"

He sighed happily heading to the phone to place the order while she headed towards the wet bar.

* * *

><p>Dinner proved to be delicious, just as C.J. had hoped as both she and Matt dined on succulent steak and roasted potatoes along with a medley of freshly steamed vegetables and afterward, some chocolate cake.<p>

And of course they both drank the wine.

That had relaxed her more than anything and they took their glasses after they cleared the table outside of the food and headed back towards the couch. It had been wonderful eating outside, a cool ocean breeze wafting as the heat of the day began to fade. Tropical flora surrounded them and they could hear the splashing of the waterfall onto rocks near the Jacuzzi.

They sat together on the couch, their shoulders brushing as they talked about anything that had nothing to do with why they were in San Diego. Matt had ways to make her relax, and even to laugh with humorous stories intermixed with some harmless flirting.

Just like he always did when they were unwinding after a hard day with good food and each other as company….it didn't mean anything really. They had never taken their relationship further than their solid lifelong friendship. Not that she had never been tempted but she always felt that the feelings that she sometimes allowed herself to recognize were one-sided. After all, they'd never done anything except kiss…and most of the time it was platonic.

They'd both had their serious relationships, and in his case engagements with other people.

She leaned back against the sofa and put her shoeless feet on the table. Matt casually slipped his arm around her and she leaned against him. She loved the quiet strength he showed during times like this and the scent of his aftershave.

"You feel better?"

She nodded.

"The wine's delicious and you're not so bad yourself."

He kissed her forehead.

"You're a great date."

She narrowed her eyes looking over at him.

"Oh is that what this is," she said, "I thought it was a quiet dinner between friends."

He paused.

"Yeah…it is but how would you feel about it if it were a date?"

She gave him a piercing look, softened by amusement in her eyes.

"Houston…are you feeling all right," she said, "I mean you did have two Scotches before we even hit the wine."

He didn't miss a beat.

"I feel just fine," he said, "but I have to say I've been doing a lot of thinking and what would you say if I asked you out?"

Now she really felt as if they'd wandered off the beaten path but her heart quickened anyway.

"Houston…you want to go out with me?"

He just nodded, but his eyes never left hers.

"Would you consider it counselor?"

She broke her look with a smile.

"I'll take it under consideration," she said, "But where is this coming from Houston?"

He sighed moving closer to her.

"I don't know but maybe we can figure that out."

Her smile became less guarded, warmer because he looked as if he'd made his decision on taking this major step already.

So she nodded.

"Maybe…we can enjoy ourselves trying anyway."

The smile he gave her made her tingle inside, the warmth spreading through her as he tightened his hold on her and she settled against him thinking it wouldn't take all that long to make her decision.


	4. Chapter 4

Matt woke up early enough so that he could watch the sunrise from the patio and order up some breakfast just in time to see C.J. come out of the bathroom, her hair damp and wearing her blue robe. She looked at him taking food off of the cart and putting it on the island near the wet bar.

"Wow, that's quite a spread you ordered," she said, "Looks delicious."

He'd ordered omelets, roasted potatoes, toast, mixed fruit and plenty of orange juice. She went for the coffee maker first before hitting the breakfast food.

"You sleep well?"

She nodded and she did look more rested than last night. They had talked on the couch for a while and then headed off to bed. Now they stacked their plates with food and headed towards the table outside the French doors. The day had already started warming up and they could feel the sea breeze caressing their skin. Matt watched her as she opened up some packets of jelly to put on her toast. She looked much more relaxed and her hair had started drying in tighter ringlets.

"How about you…?"

"Very well…."

That was mostly true but he'd spent some time lying in bed awake thinking about what they had talked about before they turned in. About how maybe they'd give this dating thing a try and see how it worked out. He had a feeling it'd go great but she'd seemed a little bit hesitant and might need a little bit more convincing.

"What time's the hearing?"

She sipped her coffee.

"About nine…in the old courthouse…"

"So it's just going to be a bail hearing?"

She nodded.

"It's too early for an arraignment though he's probably going to want to plead not guilty."

Matt started in on his fried potatoes.

"Makes sense if he's not."

She shrugged.

"The prosecutor might offer him a deal," she said, "a plea bargain at this hearing. Probably the most generous one will be today."

Matt looked straight at her.

"Are you going to advise him to take it?"

She brushed a tendril of hair out of her face absently.

"I don't know…I might ask for it to be tabled until I learn more information about their case against him."

Matt thought that seemed fair enough.

"If it's statutory rape," she said, "I don't imagine he'd be doing any time if he plead today."

"But if it's not?"

She took a deep breath.

"If the girl told him she didn't want to have sex with him then it's not going to be an easy day."

Matt closed his eyes at those words. He didn't even want to imagine that the man who mentored him might have raped a girl. It just sounded so impossible but…his mind crawled with doubts anyway. But there had to be some other reason why that girl had come forward with those allegations.

"Houston…we'll know more at the hearing."

"I know…I just wonder what kind of case they have against him."

"They must think it's enough to win a conviction against him," she said, "and in any type of sexual crime, that's a difficult task."

Matt knew that's because although there had been progress in recent years, still antiquated beliefs still remained that women couldn't be raped. Or only certain classes of women could be raped depending on their backgrounds, their clothing and their demeanor. It still remained an under prosecuted crime because so many women refused to report them to police and the ones who did, faced a very tough road to hold their assailants accountable. Matt had seen that enough on some of the cases that he and C.J. tackled including one where four teenagers were killed by a high school coach who had raped a young girl who had never gone to the police. Her fiancé had found out and that had catalyzed the deadly killing spree.

But in a small town, secrets like that often remained buried because public opinion might be harsher on those who were the victims rather than the perpetrators.

C.J. finished her breakfast.

"I'm going to get ready," she said, "We need to head out soon."

He nodded and watched her go back into the suite, liking the way the robe hugged her figure. Then he headed inside himself.

* * *

><p>C.J. entered into the courthouse with Matt and headed to the clerk's desk to find out where the hearing would be held. She tried to work out her game plan so she would be able to hit the ground running as soon as she stepped inside the courtroom. She had tried to think about it through breakfast but Matt had distracted her, not only with his easy going manner but the fact that he had been wearing his pajama bottoms and a Rice University tee-shirt which molded his upper body. The pajamas looked new, likely because he probably rarely wore them; she wondered what he slept in or if he wore anything at all.<p>

She found herself thinking of what they'd talked about last night. He'd actually asked her if she'd wanted to go on a date with him. It still surprised her. After all, where the hell had that come from? She had never been able to hide her feelings about him, at least not all the time. In fact, she had told him about a year ago that she'd loved him…and he'd just stared back at her. Of course, they had other things to think about like being caught in a deadly ambush that had already taken one life and were dodging a hail of gunfire. She had been so sure they were about to die which was why she'd told him but since they hadn't died, her confession had hung between them.

Maybe that confusion she'd faced after he'd come home with Roy in tow was why she'd succumbed so quickly to Robert's quicksilver tongue and his roguish brand of charm. It wouldn't have been the first time she had wandered into a bad relationship after Matt reminded her once again that he considered her a platonic friend.

So his asking her out had knocked her off balance but she was quick to recover and told him she might think about it.

The clerk handed her some paperwork to fill out which she did quickly enough and she and Matt headed to the courtroom. The bailiff led them inside and told C.J. where to set up shop at a table. Already there was an older woman with red hair and a no nonsense attitude who introduced herself as Marlena, the prosecutor assigned to handle the case.

"So you're representing him?"

C.J. nodded, even though she wasn't entirely sure yet. The other woman didn't need to know that so they exchanged business cards getting that part out of the way.

"You'll want all his reports won't you?"

"Of course…and that includes any stated opinions by the investigators and their supervisors."

Marlena nodded.

"That's customary the first day. My office has nothing to hide."

"Of course…"

"But we might be able to recommend easier on him if he pleads out today."

C.J. shook her head.

"I need to talk to my client first. You understand that."

Marlena nodded again.

"Okay…the offer is no time in custody, five years supervised probation and he gets counseling."

"Does he have to register?"

"As a low risk offender," Marlena said, "and that's the deal."

C.J. digested it and looked over where Matt sat in the audience.

"Like I said, I'll have to talk to my client."

The prosecutor sat at her table and opened some files to review. C.J. walked over to where Matt sat.

"So what's the deal?"

"No time, supervised probation and registration as low risk."

Matt sighed.

"What'd you tell her?"

"That I need to talk to Tex first….and then get back to her.

"You know he won't plead."

She nodded rubbing her arms.

"Yes I do…but it's not a bad deal to at least consider if…"

"He's guilty," Matt finished for her.

"I'm going to tell him his options Houston and he can decide," she said, "and then I'll review the reports and decide whether or not to take the case."

"Fair enough…"

They both turned around when they heard a side door open and two bailiffs leading Tex, who still wore his orange jumpsuit and some stubble on his jaw line. He had been cuffed and shackled and instructed that he'd have to sit and only speak when asked to during the proceedings. He nodded and turned to C.J .expectedly.

"I suppose they offered up a deal."

She explained the terms to him and he just shook his head.

"Not interested and not guilty," he said, "That's what I'm going to tell the judge."

"That's fine…this is mostly a bail hearing anyway," she said, "I'm not sure we can get it lowered but we can try."

He nodded and the judge walked in and sat on the bench looking at them, as the clerk announced the case. The judge, a middle aged man with glasses appeared to flip through a case file his eyes scanning over it quickly. Soon enough, he looked up at them.

"I understand we're here to get bail set."

C.J. looked up at him.

"Reset Your Honor," she said, "$1 million is way off the charts for a case like this one."

He furrowed his brow.

"I'm inclined to agree…but the charges are very serious and he does have factors that indicate he's a flight risk."

C.J. couldn't deny that. Tex was loaded with money and had his own planes to fly him anywhere including to a faraway country without extradition. Tex looked up at the judge.

"I have no intention on leaving the area," he said, "I plan to stay here and fight these false charges."

The judge nodded.

"What do The People have to say about that?"

Marlena cleared her throat.

"Your Honor, the bail's not excessive; in fact he could pay it right now and be out of custody in several hours."

The judge appeared to consider that.

"Why hasn't he paid the bail?"

C.J. looked over at Tex who spoke up.

"I need to authorize release of the funds," he said, "I could pay the entire amount by the end of the day."

The judge nodded.

"So be it…the bail stands at $1 million. Now do you wish to be arraigned today?"

C.J. shook her head.

"My client wishes to continue that hearing until next week," he said, "We need to review the evidence and I've not yet decided to represent him during the entire proceedings."

The judge frowned.

"So you're just standing in for someone?"

"I'm from L.A. and I'm a partner in a business," she said, "Plus my background's not in criminal law. I haven't done a trial in some years."

The judge considered that.

"Okay, that makes sense," he said, "the arraignment will be held one week from today."

C.J. nodded.

"Thank you Your Honor."

After he left the bench, C.J. went to get the packet of discovery from Marlena to take back to the hotel and review. Tex would arrange his own bail and head back to his condo where he stayed when in the city. The bailiff instructed him to stand up to go back to the holding cell.

"I'll be out tonight and we can meet and discuss the case tomorrow."

"That'll work…I need to review the material first."

He looked at her intently just before the bailiff took hold of him.

"I didn't do it. I know what you might think about be but I'm innocent."

She met his stare.

"You don't know what I think about you," she said, "I'll see you tomorrow."

The deputy led him away and C.J. walked back to where Matt stood in the aisle.

"That went pretty well."

She smiled at him.

"He'll be out of jail tonight and we'll meet with him tomorrow."

Matt nodded and they left the courtroom. As they walked out of the building back to their car, a blonde woman walked up to them.

"Hi I'm Cassie Wilkes of the San Diego Examiner," she said, "I heard they arraigned a well known businessman on rape charges. His name's Tex Winston."

"It was just a bail hearing," C.J. said, "Now if you'll just excuse us…"

Cassie followed them as they walked into the parking lot.

"Well would you like to comment on the serious allegations against your client?"

C.J. turned and narrowed her eyes at her.

"How do you know I'm even on the case?"

"Of course you are…you and Matt here came here from L.A. to help him," Cassie said, "You're pretty well known to the media too."

C.J. looked at Matt.

"Look it was just a bail hearing," she said, "That's all I'm going to say."

That didn't appear to appease Cassie much.

"But the man's been accused of bedding a young girl," Cassie said, "Do you think she's telling the truth or crying wolf?"

C.J. just looked at the reporter, irritation nearly overriding her patience.

"I haven't even reviewed the case yet," she said, "so there will be no comment."

Cassie sighed but pulled out her business card to hand to C.J.

"Well call me when you decide you do have an opinion."

C.J. took the card but doubted that she'd ever tell this woman anything. She sensed that she was trying to spin the case as some sensationalist slice of scandal rocking the city and she wanted no part of that.

Cassie finally left them alone and they reached the car to head back to the hotel. Matt said he'd call Roy to ask him to look up some information while she'd head to the office area to begin her reading of the case material.

* * *

><p>She sat in the office later to review it and felt herself drawn into the case almost immediately. Lindsey had been a young girl raised in foster care most of her life after the state took her away from her mother who had been a drug addict. Not much information was provided about her biological father because her mother had never named him. He could be one of a half dozen of men she had sex with in exchange for her next hit.<p>

C.J. knew how close she'd been to being a ward of the court herself after her parents had died. They had loved her very much when they'd been alive but exited her life fairly early. If her mother hadn't had a brother who owned a ranch in Texas, she might have wound up in foster care. But instead, she'd lived with an uncle she'd never met before who provided her with food and shelter even if he hadn't shown her much in the way of affection.

Still if she hadn't been sent there, she would have never met Matt and he and his father provided all the love and security she would ever need. It hadn't worked so well for Lindsey, a girl with light brown hair and blue eyes. The most recent photo of her had been a mug shot from her most recent arrest, the one that had led to the judge sending her to do some community service hours at the stable where Tex volunteered. Apparently he had taken her under his wing after he'd been assigned to supervise her.

He had given her a lot of attention that Lindsey had probably lacked most of her life. Her grades in school had been as random as her attendance. Her only period of stability had been a brief stint in one foster family where she had stayed with an older woman who had taken ill.

Lindsey had enjoyed his attention at first, loved that he bought things for her and took her to restaurants to eat after she worked at the stables. But then she stopped enjoying it, she told investigators when he started getting too friendly. He started commenting on her appearance, in a sexual way that became more explicit. Then touching, that seemed innocent at first and then not so much.

Then according to her statement, she had been cleaning a stall in the far corner of the stable and he walked in the stall and asked her to talk with him about something in the tack room. But when she got there, he made it clear that they were going to have sex. So she did and there were two more alleged incidents after that.

The reports were pretty scant on the details of the encounters except where she had told investigators that she hadn't wanted to do it but did anyway.

Why hadn't she told police sooner, she'd been asked several times. She answered because no one would ever believe me because I've been in trouble. A rape kit had been done on her after she came forward but C.J. wasn't surprised to learn that it hadn't yielded anything useful given how much time had passed, any evidence would have been gone.

She closed the folder, feeling so frustrated because what the prosecutor had given her wasn't nearly enough but nothing so far indicated that the girl was lying. She had assumed she would be branded a liar because of her record but C.J. also knew she took considerable risks by coming forward She knew if the girl had been telling the truth how difficult it must have been.

After putting the file aside, she got up to go refresh her iced tea at the wet bar. Matt sat on the couch reading some paperwork on one of his cases, a beer right next to him. Maybe he had the right idea and she should drink something stronger.

He looked up at her.

"How's your work coming?"

She poured herself some tea and went to sit next to him.

"I don't know…There's enough information for me to get some idea but not enough to ascertain whether or not Tex is guilty."

Matt sipped his beer.

"You surprised?"

She shook her head.

"No, but it's be very easy to brand Lindsey a liar and there's nothing I've read so far that discredits her story."

"But you said you didn't get enough information."

She sighed and leaned back on the couch.

"Houston…Tex didn't even provide a statement to police," she said, "beyond insisting he was innocent. He didn't tell me very much either."

"Why don't you ask him tomorrow for his account?"

"I plan to do that," she said, "but I don't know Houston…something made Lindsey come forward on this and it might be getting back at him for rejecting her attentions or that he actually did it."

His body tensed again and that bothered her.

"C.J…."

She sighed again.

"Houston…say he did what he's accused of and the girl's left wondering what to do and whether or not it's worth doing anything…or telling anyone."

"I know cases like this don't often get reported."

She looked over at him, watching him consider what she was saying.

"You know why that is don't you," she said, "It's because the victim's afraid that no one will believe her, that she'll be the one branded with what happened as if she did something wrong."

"We have to figure out if there is a victim," Matt said, "Why would Tex do it?"

She just stared at him silently, knowing that just what she said had bothered him. But she didn't have easy answers to his questions either.

"I don't know Houston…I don't know if I could ever stand why but if I take this case, my job is going to be discrediting a young girl who's already had a hard life and maybe destroying her."

She felt sadness when she told him that though she tried to stem it.

"C.J. we're going to need more information than we've got on this," Matt said, "Let's just figure out how to find it."

She just looked at him again, remembering back to a time years ago back in Texas. After all, she hadn't told him everything about her.

"The thing is Houston…I don't know if I need to know," she said, "I think I already do."

He looked at her perplexed.

"What does that mean?"

She sighed, putting a smile on her face.

"It's just that I'm not sure I can take this case Houston," she said, "Maybe we should help him find other counsel."

Matt narrowed his eyes.

"Why…?"

She just ran a hand through her hair and looked at him.

"I just know I need some time to think about it," she said, "I'll be back later."

She got up off the couch and before he could say anything, she grabbed her purse and left the suite without looking back.

Leaving him more perplexed than ever.


	5. Chapter 5

Matt had no idea why C.J. had walked out on him but he didn't like it. She had told him she might not be handling Tex's case but she hadn't told him why. When he had asked her, she had walked out the door.

An hour passed and she still hadn't returned. He didn't worry about her leaving because she often did that when she needed some time alone to think about something but she had looked troubled. She hadn't wanted to represent Tex from the beginning and he didn't know why. When he remembered back to the time when they had been growing up, it seemed that the two of them had gotten along well enough with each other. In fact, C.J. had appeared to like Tex a lot. They had worked well together and she hadn't said anything negative about him as far as he could remember.

So then why was she hesitant to take his case? She had represented him well so far but she hadn't appeared enthusiastic about it, not like she usually was when defending people that she and Matt knew quite well. People that in most cases had been wrongly accused of serious crimes only to be exonerated because of the dogged investigating and research that the two of them did to get to the truth.

He made some phone calls to Roy and then Hoyt back in L.A. to get more information on Tex's arrest back there. Roy had said he'd use his contacts to see if he could find out anything more on Tex's background just as a precaution. He didn't seem surprised that Matt had asked him to do that nor did he ask any questions.

"C.J. doesn't seem to be all that thrilled about representing him."

Roy hadn't seemed surprised by that either but he cut straight to the point.

"Did you ask her why she felt that way?"

Matt sighed.

"I tried but she walked out."

"If she's got reservations Matlock, there's got to be a reason," Roy said, "She knows what she's doing and she definitely knows what she doesn't want to do."

Matt knew that about her through experience but she hadn't asked to be dropped from the case and she hadn't told Tex to seek out alternate counsel. He didn't know what discussions had taken place between the two of them due to attorney/client privilege. But he did know that it hadn't increased her confidence in the case.

"She hasn't decided yet."

Roy paused.

"How well do you know Tex?"

"He worked on the ranch for years and worked his way up to the foreman position," he said, "Best one daddy ever had."

"I met him only a couple times," Roy said, "He seemed like a serious young man."

"Very hardworking, diligent and he improved our operations," Matt said, "My daddy was very pleased with him."

"Did C.J. get along with him?"

Matt rubbed his forehead.

"Yeah she did…very well," he said, "they worked together quite a bit and she never said anything bad about him."

"Did she express any concerns about him at all?"

Matt thought back but he couldn't remember her ever doing that. Most of the time she didn't seem to have anything to say about him at all.

"No…but then towards the end of his employment, she hadn't been around on the ranch much," Matt said, "She was involved in high school, getting ready to go to college."

She had spent a lot of her time clerking in a law office and involved in various school activities…not to mention studying and working on her uncle's ranch. Plenty to keep her busy and away from his family's spread.

"I remember her as being quieter her senior year," Roy said, "She came by to see Flo and me every so often. Flo looked forward to her visits. I think she always wanted a daughter."

Matt remembered that and that had been before the estrangement between Roy and his own father that had stemmed from the belief that Will had been killed in action while both of them had served in the armed forces in the Middle East.

"She was very busy Uncle Roy," he said, "We both were. I had football and baseball and she had the honor society and everything else."

"I think you need to ask her what's going on Matlock," Roy said, "I know she wouldn't refuse to take a client who's a close family friend unless she had a good reason."

His uncle's simple logic gleaned from time spent with her spiked his heart with uneasiness. Because he knew his uncle would be right.

His phone call with Hoyt hadn't gleaned much information. Just that the warrant had been served on Tex at the hotel and though he'd acted shocked about it, he had gone along willingly and hadn't resisted arrest.

"If the media hadn't announced his arrival in L.A. we wouldn't have known where to find him."

Matt knew that his party had gotten some coverage in the society column the following day.

"And once they knew his location, they had to pick him up because it was a felony warrant."

Hoyt sighed.

"We couldn't just sit on it," he said, "He's accused of sexually assaulting a young girl."

"He's going to post bail by tonight," Matt said, "and stay at his condo here."

"How's C.J. handling his case?"

Matt didn't want to go into the details of what had been going on here so he kept it simple.

"She's handling it the best she can."

"He's going to need a crack lawyer to get him through this case," he said, "The investigators are putting a lot of stock in the girl's story and I heard there's a witness."

Matt hadn't heard anything about that nor had C.J. as far as he knew.

"Who…?"

"A groom at the stable saw them leave the barn a couple minutes apart," Hoyt said, "The girl left first and looked agitated…disheveled."

Matt wondered if he and C.J. could go to the stable and talk to that witness, canvass for more possible ones. As soon as she got back…

"You helping her out with this Houston?"

"Yeah…but I haven't gotten started yet," he said, "C.J. just got the reports this morning at the bail hearing, just finished reading before she took off."

No need to explain why she had done that to Hoyt.

"Busy on the case already," Hoyt said, "Like I said Houston, it's going to take some investigating on your part and you might not like what you find."

"You think he's guilty?"

"I'm not saying that," Hoyt said, "I've just seen so many of these cases. Investigated many too and most of the time the victim's telling the truth."

"But not always…"

Hoyt paused.

"No…but maybe you should look into your friend's background and see if he has any priors," Hoyt said, "Not necessarily arrests because in a lot of these cases, the perpetrators don't get arrested."

"I'll do that," Matt said, "I'll look in some of those databases but C.J.'s much better than I am at it."

He finished his conversation with Hoyt a few minutes later and just sat on the couch wondering if his friend was right. If he looked into Tex's background what would he find? After all, the guy moved on from one job to the next when he'd been working ranches and traveled a lot now as a businessman. Plenty of places to look he told himself and then he remembered who he was thinking about…it just sank the pit of his stomach to imagine that Tex could be guilty of such a horrendous crime. But if he did the research, maybe he'd discover the opposite, that there were no prior cases at least none that could be found.

When C.J. returned, he'd also do as Roy had advised and ask her about why she was reluctant to commit herself to the idea of Tex's innocence or innocence until proven guilty and then he wondered if she'd give him an answer.

* * *

><p>C.J. had driven to Balboa Island and had parked her car to take a long walk along the paths past the Carousal and several of the museums. She had just needed some time alone to think because back at the hotel, Matt had been asking her those questions and she didn't want to answer them.<p>

She thought about Lindsey and the story she had told about what Tex had done. The complete details weren't included in the police reports but C.J. felt that she didn't really need them. When she had read the reports, she had felt her heart sink, and her palms sweat. Matt had been sitting out in the living area of the suite and she didn't know if he believed that Lindsey had been honest in her account. But then he so much wanted to believe that the man who mentored him would never hurt anyone. Who was she to tell him otherwise? After all, she had never told him anything nor had she told anyone else. She had just broken it off with her boyfriend Kyle without explaining why and had tried to pretend that it never happened, life would be normal again if she just willed it that way.

After all years had passed and she was now a successful businesswoman and lawyer after graduating with honors from every educational institution she had attended. Her final year of high school she had focused even more on her studies, worked harder in her extracurricular activities and tried to distance herself from him.

Which meant distancing herself from Matt in a way but he'd been so busy himself with earning an athletic scholarship to Rice University and a bunch of other places. They still hung out together and graduated together before heading off in separate directions their last summer before college. He'd traveled around Europe for three months and she'd taken an immersion program in legal studies in Austin which made her even more determined to be a lawyer.

She continued on down the beach trying not to think about what she'd just left. She needed some time to relax so that she could go back and explain to Matt why she wanted to drop off the case. The ocean looked like blue tinted glass that spread all the way to the horizon where she saw boats in the distance. Plenty of sun worshippers and surfers each were staking their spots out on the beach. She narrowed her eyes when she saw a familiar figure.

"Slim?"

The athletic woman with the blonde curly hair looked up from where she sat waxing her board and smiled when she saw C.J.

"Hey C.J. what are you doing down on my beach?"

C.J. walked across the beach after taking off her shoes and Slim got up to embrace her. She smelled of sun and surfing wax and looked very happy. They sat down where there were a couple of empty chairs from Slim's crew.

"Slim you look great," C.J. said, "Houston's down here too. We're both here because his friend Tex is in jail on charges."

Slim's face turned serious.

"So you're going to represent him," she said, "Well you always were one hell of a lawyer."

C.J. sighed looking down at her hands.

"I don't know…I thought I could do it but I'm not sure."

"Well you'll figure it out," Slim said, "and Houston will understand either way."

C.J. shrugged.

"I'm not so sure about that but what about you?"

Slim beamed.

"Like I told you in that letter, I got married in Mexico to Franco who's this awesome surfboard maker. He designed this board here."

"That's great Slim, so how's married life treating you?"

"Frigging awesome," Slim said, "I fell in love with his surfboards and then him…but I'm so glad we got married."

"I'm happy for you."

Slim furrowed her brow.

"I heard Houston almost got married to some chick named Elizabeth?"

"It didn't work out," C.J. said, "They broke it off after some psycho crashed the wedding. She didn't want to live a life of untimely interruptions and dangerous encounters."

Slim sighed.

"I can't say I'd blame her," she said, "It's going to take a special woman to make it work with Houston. Don't get me wrong, I think he's the greatest and a serious hunk but you know what I mean?"

C.J. did understand what Slim was saying. Better than anyone else did probably, because she knew him so well.

"What about the two of you," Slim asked suddenly.

C.J. blinked her eyes.

"What…you mean we should get together?"

Slim nodded.

"Yeah I think you'd make an awesome couple," she said, "I always thought that you two would be perfect together."

C.J. smiled.

"Well we've decided to go out with each other," she said, "You know like on dates."

Slim's eyes widened.

"That's great…and it's about time."

"I'm looking forward to spending more time with him," C.J. said, "but I've never explored having a relationship with him. I thought about it a lot."

Slim rolled her eyes.

"Girlfriend it's not that hard," she said, "You've known each other forever. Make that work for you."

C.J. nodded, knowing that made a lot of sense.

"We've got this case to get through first and I'm thinking about not going through with it."

Slim frowned.

"That bad…what's going on?"

C.J. sighed.

"Nothing, I just got to represent a guy who mentored Houston and he's not what he thinks."

"That's always hard but Houston's a big boy," Slim said, "He can handle the truth even if it's difficult and he cares about you more than just about anything."

"But it's going to hurt him…"

Slim smiled.

"It'll hurt him more if you don't tell him."

C.J. listened to her words knowing she was right.

* * *

><p>Matt had gone down to the police station to see if he could visit Tex in jail and after 30 minutes, he was asked to go down the hallway to the visiting area because his friend had agreed to see him.<p>

Tex had already been brought in and was sitting by the glass that separated them by the time Matt had settled in his chair and picked up the phone. Tex did like while the guard stood nearby.

"Hey Matt thanks for coming and visiting but I'm going to be out in a few."

"You got the bond arranged?"

Tex nodded.

"Yeah it'll take a couple of hours to process the paperwork but then I'm out of here and heading to the condo to take a shower and relax with some takeout."

"Sounds like a plan," Matt said, "C.J.'s been working on your case, reading the reports…she'll meet with you tomorrow morning."

Tex hesitated.

"I'm not sure she's going to continue to represent me Matt."

Matt frowned.

"Why do you say that?"

Tex sighed.

"Because I know she thinks I did it, that I'm guilty Matt and I don't need that when I'm looking for someone to help me in the fight of my life."

Matt rubbed his forehead.

"She's got her doubts but she hasn't made a decision yet."

"She will Matt and it'll be to drop the case," Tex said, "She as much said she thought I probably did it when we spoke last night."

That surprised Matt a bit but then he'd known it too that C.J. didn't seem thrilled about being handed Tex's defense.

"I could talk to her about it," Matt said, "It might be something that can be worked out."

"I don't know Matt," Tex said, "You see there's something she didn't tell you…something that happened back when I worked on your daddy's ranch."

"What was that?"

Tex pursed his lips.

"That she had a thing for me," he said, "She wanted a relationship."

Matt furrowed his brow.

"That's crazy Tex…she was still in high school."

"I know and I told her that it wouldn't work…she was too young and that I could get into trouble if anyone found out."

Matt digested what his friend told him.

"So what happened?"

Tex shifted in his chair, his shackles clanging.

"Nothing…I thought it had all been in the past but now I guess she does not want to handle my case at least not in the way it needs to be handled."

Matt listened but it didn't make much sense to him. C.J. hadn't ever mentioned being interested in Tex, a much older man in that way.

"So I guess when I get out, I'll be shopping around for other legal counsel."

"I'll tell her then," Matt said, "but what you said, it doesn't make any sense."

Tex shrugged.

"I wouldn't think so but if it's going to interfere with her legal representation, it's just better to get another attorney now."

Matt didn't say anything knowing that Tex had the right to hire an attorney of his choice to represent him and he certainly had the money to hire the best in the country. But he had seemed to be willing to retain C.J. at first so what had changed? And the young woman that he had just described hadn't been the one Matt had remembered. C.J had dated a couple guys but had been seeing a football player named Kyle. In fact, they had double dated with Matt and his assortment of girlfriends several times. The two of them had really seemed to get along well together and he didn't remember when that relationship had ended.

"I'd better get going Matt," Tex said, "I've got some arrangements to make before I get out of here tonight."

Matt nodded as the guard came to lead Tex back to his holding cell. But his head had spun with this conversation and he knew he had to get back to the hotel and talk to C.J. about it. Hopefully she'd be back from having walked out on him earlier. She'd have her meeting with Tex tomorrow and then she might be off the case. But then they could still remain in the city to monitor how Tex's case was handled before heading back.

Matt left the police station and headed back to his car. He slid behind the wheel and turned on the radio as he headed on out of the parking lot.

"Tomorrow's expected to be sunny but later in the day we might be seeing those clouds come in…the storm's still stalled off of the coast of Baja but expected to move up the coastline right to the city."

Matt frowned, sounded like a storm was on the way but right now the sky looked a crystal blue, sunlight warming the air making it a perfect day for the beach. He drove back to the hotel trying to formulate his questions for C.J. in his mind and wondering how she'd answer them.

If she'd answer them.

* * *

><p>C.J. headed back to her car after talking to Slim feeling much better and ready to head back to the hotel suite. She wondered if Matt would be there when she returned or if he'd headed out on his own errands.<p>

She hit a traffic light that seemed long and so she took her phone out to check her messages. She saw the blinking light indicating that she'd received a text at some point.

When she read it her eyes widened for its message was short and terse.

"Watch your back…"


	6. Chapter 6

C.J. didn't know what to think of the text she had just received but the light turned red and she had to continue driving back to the hotel. She had no idea who sent it, and what the anonymous message meant. Back off from what, she could easily come up with a lengthy list of possibilities. Maybe she should tell Matt and he could help her figure it out but no…she didn't want to worry him. It could just be someone messing with her.

Getting threats was nothing new in her line of work after all. So she just focused on heading back to the suite so she could think about how she was going to tell Matt she didn't want to keep representing Tex. When he asked her why what was she going to tell him? She pulled into the parking lot and got out to walk back, but she looked around her carefully to see if she were being followed by whoever had just texted her.

But then again, the person could be anywhere in the world and send her messages. She didn't see anyone or anything unusual as she walked through the lobby and boarded the elevator.

She reached the suite and found that Matt wasn't there so she went to get herself some juice and lay back on the sofa to relax. The trip down here had already been eventful enough, what with everything that's already happened. But it had been great running into Slim and catching up with her. She had left L.A. to take off on a surfing tour around the world with some friends and had met the man she wound up marrying.

Slim seemed very happy now in her new life. And what she'd said about her and Matt getting together. C.J. had thought often enough what that would be like, to have that kind of relationship with him and she knew she'd want it. But she didn't know how he'd feel about that and she hadn't taken the risk to ask.

She'd told him she loved him that one time and he hadn't ever really responded back. They had both entered into serious relationships after she had said those words so had they really meant anything at all?

Her eyes felt heavier and she relaxed on the sofa closing them to just take a few minutes to get away from everything around her.

* * *

><p>When she rode into the clearing near the barn, she saw him standing there waiting for her. The barn looked somewhat the worse for wear but had still been standing after the tornado had swept through the valley. It had touched ground and danced through the acreage of the ranch before moving on and judging from the damage, its targets had been random.<p>

She rode up towards Matt and dismounted as soon as she reined to a stop. He stepped forward and swept her in his embrace before she could say anything.

"C.J. thank god you're all right…"

His arms felt strong and secure around her, the way his body molded to hers should have made her feel safe but she tensed in his embrace and acted like she felt uncomfortable over the fuss he made.

Anything to keep him from knowing the truth.

She looked into his eyes, the ones that always read her so well and gave him a reproachful look.

"Houston I'm fine…I took shelter when it came through…underground."

He looked her over making sure she was unhurt.

"Alone?"

"No.,..I ran into Tex by the barn and we both went into the shelter," she said, "just before it struck."

"You were gone a long time. I was worried."

She sighed brushing her hair off her face, looking away from him.

"Houston we waited until it stopped raining and then came back."

He seemed satisfied with her answer and they both walked back towards the barn, with her leading her horse.

"How bad is it inside," she asked.

Matt sighed.

"It's going to need work fixing but the structure's intact. We were lucky."

She nodded.

"I know. It was very close out there…the way the sky got so dark so fast and the wind was blowing hard from nowhere."

"Good thing Tex was there," Matt said, "to help you get to safety."

She had stopped moving then and just looked at him. He'd stopped too and looked at her a bit puzzled.

"Anything wrong…?"

She paused and shook her head.

"Nah, I just need to shower and clean up," she said, "after we clean up here."

He shook his head.

"Don't worry about it," he said, "My daddy and Tex want to look over the damage before anything's cleaned up or fixed."

"Okay…I'll see you later then."

He smiled back at her and then they heard some hoof beats and saw that Tex had arrived riding his gelding. He slid off his horse when he got close and walked towards them.

"Damn that storm tore up this place a bit but it could have been worse."

Matt sighed scratching the back of his head.

"Yeah well, this is the season for them as they say," he said, "But I think we were lucky with this one."

"Can't argue with that…though it was a close call…"

Matt nodded.

"Thanks for helping C.J. get to safety."

Tex looked over at her but she didn't meet his eyes, she just looked at the ground.

"No problem…we just hunkered down in the storm cellar by the other barn until the storm passed."

C.J. had just watched them talking biting her tongue. She wanted to say something but she didn't. Matt might not believe her or even worse, he would and might confront Tex. He was beginning to muscle out from football and ranch work but he was no match for a full grown man like Tex.

No, better not to say anything at all about it, she decided.

"Houston…I guess I'll be heading back to the house," she said, "See if I can help there."

He nodded and Tex started to leave.

"You need any help?"

She turned to face him and shook her head as she headed to put her horse in the corral with several others.

"No I'm fine…I don't need help."

After she closed the corral gate, she left for the house without looking back.

* * *

><p>C.J. woke up suddenly and found herself looking into Matt's eyes, from where he sat in the chair next to where she lay. She must have dreaming.<p>

"Hey you're awake…"

She yawned and pulled herself up in a sitting position.

"Yeah I didn't know I was even tired until I started drifting off."

"You feel better?"

She took a deep breath, looking at him remembering what had happened earlier. How she had walked out on him when he'd asked her why she wanted to drop off of Tex's criminal case.

"Yeah…I went down to Balboa Island and I ran into Slim there surfing."

Matt's eyes lit up at the mention of his friend and former auto mechanic.

"How's she doing with that fellow she married?"

"Great…She seems so happy Houston," she said, "but she misses you and your fleet of cars you used to bang up."

Matt leaned back in his chair remembering those days.

"Yeah, she always got them fixed up and running again even if she had to rebuild them from scratch."

"Well you were always tough on your wheels Houston," she said, "That hasn't changed much."

"I guess not…I just got back a few moments ago," he said, "I went to see Tex."

Her face grew more serious.

"Oh…"

Matt nodded.

"He's thinking about hiring another lawyer."

That news surprised her.

"What…why?"

Matt paused.

"He told me something when I met with him," he said, "He said that he was concerned you might be upset about something that happened years ago on my daddy's ranch."

C.J.'s eyes widened.

"What did he say?"

Matt seemed to be watching her closely and she didn't like that. How much did he know, she wondered. What had Tex told him?

He seemed to choose his words carefully.

"He told me that you wanted to have a relationship with him."

She closed her eyes as the emotions washed over here, shock threatening to numb her to the rest of them. Anger came a close second but she knew she had to rein that inside her.

"He said what?"

Matt looked uncomfortable after he read her face.

"He told me that you made advances towards him while he worked as foreman and he told you no."

She rubbed the bridge of her nose, not looking at him.

"Did you believe him?"

She looked at him searching his eyes for her answer and she saw him shake his head.

"God Houston, I was only 16, you'd think I'd be throwing myself at him," she said, "I didn't do anything like that."

"I didn't say that you did," Matt countered, "but that's what he told me when I visited him."

C.J. just shook her head.

"No…I didn't throw myself at him," she said, "That's not what happened at all."

He leaned forward.

"Then what did happen?"

She sighed, not answering his question. She just looked down at her hands in her lap.

"Houston, it was years ago…if he doesn't want to hire me as his legal counsel, that's his prerogative and it's his right as a person charged with a crime."

"You didn't answer my question."

Her eyes flashed at him.

"It doesn't matter…so why bring it up?"

He didn't retreat.

"Because it does matter."

"No it doesn't…it doesn't change anything and if he wants a different counsel that lets us both off the hook."

She wondered what he wanted from her and why he kept pushing her to answer his question.

"Isn't it getting close to dinner time," she said, rising up from the couch.

She headed to the wet bar to pour herself some juice.

"We could try out the steakhouse downstairs," Matt suggested, "Supposed to be a great meal."

"Okay…I just want to change…"

She headed into her room to get ready.

Matt watched her go, more puzzled than ever. Oh, he knew he could have pressed harder with his questions but had decided against it. Her body language told him that he probably wouldn't get any answers. At least not right now.

Maybe after they ate some great food and relaxed for a while.  
>He sat back on the couch waiting for her to come back out and thought about what Tex had told him about C.J. It made no sense that she would hit on him when he'd been working at his daddy's ranch. C.J. herself had never told him that she had even looked at the foreman in that way<p>

And now Tex wanted another attorney on the case at the same time that C.J. had expressed her own reservations about continuing as his attorney. Obviously something had happened between the two of them at some point and Matt had been left out of the loop.

Something she clearly didn't want him to know about years later.

Matt had meant it when he had told her that he wanted to go out with her, not just as a partner in friendship but also in romance. And when she walked out into the living room area wearing black jeans and a short sleeved black sweater, he remembered why. He had always known she was beautiful but he'd always focused on their friendship.

"You ready to go," she asked.

He nodded and he slid his arm around her waist as they left the suite.

* * *

><p>Dinner proved to be as delicious as the reputation of the eatery promised and both Matt and C.J. enjoyed their filet minion and baked potatoes, preceded by a tossed salad of spring baby greens and vegetables. C.J. had ordered the wine and they both sipped it in between bites of food, conversing easily.<p>

"Houston, I could easily spend a month down here eating great food like this and spending time at the beach," she said, "Maybe Slim could teach me how to surf."

She smiled at him, thinking he looked really nice in his jeans and polo shirt, enjoying his meal just like she did and making her laugh as he told her about some of the cases that he and Roy had handled while she'd been doing legal work.

"You'd give L.A. up?"

She shook her head.

"Oh no…I enjoy life there, it's just sometimes it's nice to get away."

He sipped his wine looking at her.

"C.J. I know I should have asked you to take more field work."

She tilted her face at him, her dark curls a halo.

"Houston, why did you distance yourself from what we shared together," she said, "I know it has nothing to do with Roy moving to L.A…"

He fingered the stem of his glass.

"I don't know why C.J.," he said, "It's not because I didn't want you there."

She looked at him, nodding.

"I know but it started after we worked on that extortion racket at that club."

He didn't say anything but she saw the expression change on his face and knew she had hit a nerve.

"C.J…"

"Yeah when I nearly got blown up in my car," she said, "and you rushed and pushed me to the ground. You saved my life."

He had only seconds to act when he realized she had been targeted as the next victim and had gotten to her just in time. Her car had gone up in flames but she hadn't been inside of it.

"If I hadn't gotten there…"

She sighed.

"Houston…nothing happened. We've both been through near death experiences, both been shot on cases and we're both still here."

He nodded.

"I know but if I'd lost you that day…"

She heard the sadness in his voice and realized that he really had been afraid that she'd nearly been killed as a result of what they both did.

"But you didn't," she said, "and you can't protect me by keeping me out of the field Houston. Besides, don't you think I get scared sometimes of what might happen to you out there?"

He sipped his wine.

"I can handle myself."

She blew a tendril of hair out of her face.

"Well so can I," she said, "I've saved your butt a time or two."

He couldn't keep from smiling because her spirited nature was part of what he loved about her.

"I know you did…and I'm sorry that I pushed you away because I never meant to do that."

She softened.

"I know but Houston, I need you to have faith in my ability to do the job," she said, "Trust that I can handle myself and keep safe…at least as much as possible."

He nodded.

"I think I can do that."

She arched a brow.

"Even now that we're dating…?"

His smile widened.

"Yeah…I like the sound of that."

"So do I…so does this count as dating Houston?"

He nodded, leaning closer to her.

"I think so…so how do you like it so far?"

She smiled warmly.

"I like it…what woman wouldn't be happy to be out with such a great looking guy?"

His cheeks flushed a bit and she bit back a chuckle.

"Oh Houston, it's not the first time you've heard a woman say that."

"No but you're not just any woman C.J.," he said, "Not to me."

Now her cheeks felt warm, because when she looked at him, she saw that he meant it. It made her feel happy and relaxed to hear him say that because he meant more to her than anyone else.

"You're more than that Houston," she said, "You're compassionate and gentle, you care so much about people, and it doesn't hurt that you're so damn sexy."

His brows rose.

"Really…?"

She wanted to throw her napkin at him for that.

"Houston…"

He waggled his eyebrows at her.

"Why don't you show me how sexy you think I am?"

She pursed her lips to keep from chuckling.

"In good time Houston," she said, "I like to take it slow if you can handle that."

His face grew gentle.

"Sounds perfect to me," he said, "I think I waited a long time for this and didn't know it."

She felt the same way about him and just smiled back, yeah she couldn't wait to get to know him a whole lot better than she did but she meant it when she said she didn't want to rush into anything.

* * *

><p>They paid the tab not long after that and headed up to the suite. Matt checked his phone and saw a message from Tex which meant he'd made bail and was back at his condo.<p>

C.J. looked at her phone and saw another text that sent a chill through her, disrupting her relaxed attitude.

"Keep quiet or else…."


	7. Chapter 7

C.J. entered the suite, the text message still on her mind. She hadn't said anything on the elevator ride up with Matt about it. But what was there to say? They both had received threats and warnings through just about every mode of communication before and they'd both dealt with it. She had no idea who might have sent it except that the individual had to have her cell phone number.

But she didn't want to think about it right now. Matt had followed her in the suite and had opened the French doors out into the patio area. The warmth of the night air carrying a mild breeze off the ocean wafted inside the suite.

"It's supposed to be raining in a day or so," Matt said, "So maybe we should enjoy the nice weather."

She nodded and followed him outside, picking up a bottle of wine, some glasses nd then sitting on a chaise after they'd turned the outer lights on which highlighted the rain forest motif around them. Matt took out his phone.

"I got a message from Tex," he said, "Must have bailed out from jail."

C.J. didn't look at him. She figured that he must have made bail since he'd clearly had more than enough money to pay it. She watched as he clicked the buttons on his phone to listen to the message.

"Houston…I'm just calling to tell you that I'm out of jail and back at the condo….we can meet tomorrow as scheduled but I told you I might be seeking outside counsel….

Matt put his phone away and turned towards her.

"Houston if he wants to get another attorney, it's probably for the best."

He sat down next to her on the chaise.

"Why?"

She sighed.

"Because he doesn't want me on it," she said, "and I'm not sure that he's innocent."

"That's what you told me earlier," he said, "But you never told me why."

She just sat there not answering.

"Why would you say that?"

Her body tensed as she looked at him.

"Why would you assume that he couldn't be guilty Houston," she asked, "I know you've known him a long time or thought you did."

He frowned at her.

"What does that mean," he said, "that I thought I knew him?"

She didn't back away.

"Exactly what I said…what if you didn't really know him at all?"

He remained quiet, but she knew his mind was working, trying to find a way into what she didn't want to say, the part of her that had kept a secret from him and everyone else for so long.

"What do you mean?"

She just looked at her hands, not elaborating.

"C.J…"

She looked up at him.

"Because I don't think either of us really did Houston," she said, "only now I do know better."

Her answer frustrated him; she could see that in his face and his body language.

"Is that why you don't like him?"

She just stared at him.

"Because I figured out that you don't," he said, "and I want to know why."

She sighed, pulling her hair back.

"It doesn't matter now Houston," she said, "Like I said it's all in the past."

He looked at her frustrated and she hated seeing him that way but what would saying anything to him about something years ago accomplish now? She'd moved past it hadn't she? But then looking at him, she knew the investigative side of him would assert itself.

"What's in the past?"

She looked up at the sky, felt the warm breeze carrying more than a hint of moisture against her skin.

"It's going to rain soon."

Matt leaned back on the chaise.

"Yeah a tropical storm's due in a day or so," he said, "we might get the tail end of it."

She nodded thoughtfully.

"C.J. what was in the past?"

She sighed realized that he wasn't going to give up in his pursuit of information that she didn't want to share with him.

"Houston, I told you it doesn't matter," she said, "You can't change the past anyway."

"I know that, though there's been times I'd wanted that like with…"

C.J. knew the rest that he'd left unsaid, meaning that she knew that Matt would have changed what had happened on the day he believed his cousin Will had been killed in action when they'd both been sent off to fight a war overseas. Even though Will had turned out to be alive, he had still lost over a decade of his life including time with his family including Matt.

"Houston…I think that's only natural," she said, "I feel the same way like when I got in the car with Too-Mean and left Carl by himself with his broken down car. If only I had stayed with him or he'd left with me…"

She closed her eyes momentarily because even two years later, the pain still resonated with her. Matt reached with one of his hands and coaxed a strand of hair off of her face, caressing her skin. She smiled up at him but her eyes still carried some sadness.

"Maybe I feel the same way with Tex."

Matt adjusted himself in his seat.

"How so?"

She took a deep breath and exhaled it slowly.

"Maybe I would have acted differently towards him," she said, "You know I had a crush on him."

Matt's brow furrowed and she thought maybe he hadn't known. He had his own life keeping him busy when they'd both been in high school.

"You did…"

She nodded.

"Yeah I don't know why now but maybe it's because he paid so much attention to me," she said, "He treated me like I was on his level…not a kid."

"I know…that's what I liked about him too," Matt said, "He worked me as hard as any of his grownup hands."

C.J. remembered that he had done the same with her and hadn't granted her any favors because she'd been female.

"I liked him a lot and I trusted him," she said, "He seemed to look out for me because I didn't have a father."

She remembered how he had always been there when she'd needed someone to talk to and seemed to know when she needed words of encouragement.

"He cared about you C.J."

Her eyes looked away from him and something caught in her throat.

"Yeah I thought he did Houston."

His eyes narrowed.

"What do you mean thought he did?"

She sighed.

"Just what I said," she said, "until the day of the storm."

He looked at her puzzled.

"What storm?"

Fair enough question given how many storms had crossed their paths while growing up in what had been part of Tornado Alley after all. Not to mention all the tropical weather that spun off of hurricanes that struck the coastline on the Gulf of Mexico.

She sipped her wine and he silently awaited her answer.

"That summer when I was 16 and we were hit with the tornado that nearly leveled the barn."

Matt's eyes widened slightly and she knew he remembered it, pictured the damage to his father's ranch inside his head.

"Okay I remember, so what happened that day?"

She took a deep breath again, watching him. The words didn't come easily, each one a bit of a struggle.

"I was out riding fence line by myself," she said, "the four of us had split off and hit different quadrants earlier."

Matt nodded, clearly remembering that day.

"I finished early and was waiting for you and Tex to return to the barn," he said, "then I saw the sky darken…and knew we were in for a big one."

"I did too, only it was too late to make it back," she said, "I saw the funnel clouds Houston and knew I had to take cover fast."

Matt's eyes focused on hers and she knew he was remembering that day. Having been caught in a storm himself, he knew that ever second counted to avoid being caught up in it.

"So you headed to the storm cellar near the old barn."

She nodded, smoothing a strand of hair back.

"As fast as my mare would carry me," she said, "and I did reach there in time. I got there and just as I jumped off, I saw Tex."

Matt knew the story that Tex had grabbed her and helped her get into the storm cellar just before a tornado reached out of the darkened sky to rip apart the landscape next to the old barn. If it hadn't been for Tex's quick action….he closed his eyes not wanting to think about it.

"He saved your life."

C.J. couldn't deny that he had done that but what Matt didn't know was that he'd taken a piece of her as well. Looking at the expression on his face, did she really want to tell him that about the man who had mentored him?

"Yes he did….and we stayed in the shelter for a while."

Matt frowned.

"Yes you did…even after the tornado had passed."

She sipped her wine again, her hand a bit shaky.

"Just until the rain stopped," she said, "then we headed back to the barn and I saw you there."

She had both longed for and dreaded the moment that she'd first see his face when she reached for the barn. Wanting to wrap her arms around him yet what if he looked into her eyes and saw the truth?

The way that he looked at her now.

"I was so glad to see you Houston…"

Matt sighed.

"I know I was never happier than when I saw you riding towards me," he said, "I was just about to come out looking for you to make sure you were okay."

She knew that he would have done that, or whatever it would have taken to find her no matter what. That knowledge had given her a feeling of security during difficult periods in her life.

"I know that…but I wasn't okay Houston…."

His eyes widened as he looked at her and she knew she had said too much. But she didn't feel like keeping the words to herself anymore.

"What do you mean you weren't okay?"

She rubbed her forehead before she looked at him and saw that his body had tensed up even while he looked at her.

"C.J. you can tell me anything you know that don't you?"

She sighed watching the concern on his face but knowing that what she had to tell him would change how he viewed one of the most important people in his life.

"I know but this is different," she said, "I've never told anyone."

Matt looked at her for a long moment and she felt uncomfortable under his intense gaze. She rubbed her arms while she looked back at him.

"Maybe you should….what happened with you and Tex during the storm?"

She saw the concern on his face as he looked at her and knew what the truth might cost him.

Suddenly she felt the urge to run away…like she hadn't been able to do that day. But now years later…she felt it again.

She got off the chaise, pulling away from him in more ways than physically and shook her head.

"I can't…just let it be…"

She headed back quickly into the suite without a backward glance leaving him in her wake.


	8. Chapter 8

C.J. sat in the club downstairs drinking a glass of wine as she listened to a man playing the grand piano in the corner. He took requests but she'd been busy trying not to think about why she had just walked out on Matt upstairs.

But she knew she'd come awfully close to telling him what she had never told anyone and when she tried to brace herself for his reaction, to try to imagine what it might be, she just felt like leaving.

Just to get away, from the man she had never had to run from before in all the years she had known him. But he had also had been mentored while growing up by a man he had highly respected.

A man who had saved his life more than once.

She sipped her wine slowly, feeling how it warmed her throat as she swallowed it, causing her muscles to relax. The room was dimly lit and only several tables were occupied. It seemed to be a quiet night, perfect for sitting down and reflecting, trying to figure out what to do. She did know that she was going to have to find some way to tell him. But where would she find the words, she had done some rehearsing when she thought she might be close to divulging her secret during quieter moments in their friendship. At the last minute, something altered that dynamic and she remained silent.

Her phone rang and she pulled it out and discovered it was Chris. So she answered it.

"Hi there..."

"Hi…I didn't think you'd still be up."

C.J .picked up tension in her friend's voice and leaned back in her chair.

"What's going on in L.A.?"

Chris sighed before answering.

"It's Murray…."

"Meaning he's working you too hard again," C.J. said, "too many hours?"

After all the lead accountant turned corporate president of Houston Industries was known for pushing the employees hard, at least as hard as he pushed himself.

"Oh no….it's not that at all," Chris said, "In fact it's not work related."

That surprised C.J. a bit.

"What do you mean then," She said, "Murray's all about work these days since the broken engagement."

Three months ago, he'd been set to marry a socialite named Babette who volunteered as a docent at the same museum as Murray did but she had gotten cold feet only days before the wedding.

Chris hesitated.

"Murray asked me out…and I accepted."

C.J.'s brows arched, not anticipating that development at all.

"What…oh really?"

"Yes…really," Chris said, "He took me to dinner at that sushi place…you know on the Westside."

C.J. remembered that place. She had frequented it with Robert before he had been carted off to prison.

"So how did it go?"

"It…went…."

That didn't sound very good.

"What happened?"

Chris paused again.

"Well we had a good time at least I thought we did and he took me home….and….when it came time to kiss me goodnight…"

"He didn't?"

"Oh no….he did and man, the guy can kiss…who would have thought?"

Now C.J. felt puzzled.

"So what was the problem then?"

"No problem….it's just that I never thought that I'd ever be interested in a guy like him."

Fair enough, C.J. thought, up to now she wasn't even sure that Murray had any interests outside of working and his membership in the Begonia Appreciation Garden Club. But he seemed like a nice enough guy when he wasn't hyperventilating on the couch at the office over crisis.

"Well maybe he's exactly what you need," C.J. said, "You could do much worse and besides maybe it'll work out great between the two of you."

A pause met her.

"Are you trying to match make between the two of us?"

"No….I'm just saying if you feel happy when you're with him, maybe it's worth exploring."

Chris appeared to digest that on her end of the line.

"But what about you," she said, "You spend time with Matt who makes you happy but you're not a couple."

C.J. focused back on the man at the piano trying not to remember the scene she had just left upstairs in the suite. Yes, Matt had always been the closest friend to her but when he said he wanted to change their relationship that had thrown her through a loop. Why now, she'd asked herself not all that long after his engagement with Elizabeth had gone kaput.

"It's not like that between us," she said, "It's never been that way."

"Yeah but you know you want to change that."

"No…I don't know…"

Chris didn't act all that impressed.

"The entire office knows, can't believe you haven't figured it out."

C.J .sighed.

"We'll we have discussed it…recently and we're going to try it."

"Ah….I knew it," Chris said, "That means I win the office pool…"

"The what…?"

"Never mind…so where are you going on your first date?"

C.J. rolled her eyes on her end.

"It's not our first date," she said, "We've been out many times."

"Yeah but not like this," Chris pointed out, "though maybe it'd be best if you just kept it simple…like maybe a concert and dinner."

C.J. rubbed her forehead wishing it were that simple.

"I don't think I'm ready to take that step with him."

Another pause greeted her.

"Why the hell not," Chris said, "You've known him forever. He's known you. You know everything there's to know about each other…"

"Not everything…"

"Well nearly everything," Chris continued, "Enough to realize that you two would be great together."

C.J. hesitated.

"He doesn't know everything about me."

Chris chuckled.

"Nearly everything…unless you're hiding some deep dark secret from him…"

C.J. rubbed the bridge of her nose.

"You have something you've kept secret from him," Chris asked, "Really?"

C.J. sighed, holding onto the phone tightly.

"There's something that happened that I've never told anyone," she said "including him and now I have to tell him. I just don't know what I'm going to say."

"How bad can it be," Chris said, "He's your best friend, nothing you say's going to change that."

C.J. didn't imagine it would, that wasn't what she was worried about not much anywawy.

"I'm not worried about what he'll think, I'm worried about what he'll do."

Chris sighed on her end.

"That bad….well you still better tell him about it whatever it is," she said, "and trust that he'll do the right thing."

"I don't know what that is in this case," C.J. said, "I've been wondering about that myself ever since…"

"Ever since what…"

C.J. didn't want to say anything more about it so she demurred and told Chris she'd talk to her later. After putting her phone away, she finished her glass of wine.

* * *

><p>Matt sat back on the couch, running his hand through his hair, thinking about his conversation with C.J. Right up to the point where she had walked out of the suite and on him. He knew that it wasn't because of anything he did but something had driven her to do it, something she had been keeping to herself. They didn't have many secrets from each other but there were periods of time in their lives when they hadn't been together. When their lives had diverged in different directions before reconnecting later further on down the road.<p>

Then there were times when they'd been in the same vicinity where they had been busy or preoccupied with things going on in their busy lives. What had happened, what she had been keeping from him, he didn't know which category it fell under. But he knew that it had something to do with Tex. His gut told him it had to do with the day of that tornado that had hit the ranch and it had tightened more when she had closed herself off to him and essentially ran away.

He had left the French Doors open and had felt a warm breeze hinting of sea salt and of the coming storm had wafted inside the suite. After pouring himself a glass of Scotch from the wet bar, he had sat down on the sofa to consider which action to take next. Being a man of action, both immediate and that more thought out, he felt like he had to do something but what? He knew that pushing her with questions would just push her further away but he had questions which needed answers and he felt his patience ebbing when it came to getting them.

Thinking back, he remembered the day of the tornado. He'd been out riding different fence lines than she and Tex had been doing. There were four of them total and they had figured that if each focused on a different stretch of border fence, they'd get more done by the end of the day. All they were doing was marking sections for repair or replacement which they would do later. It had been late summer definitely a time of year when severe thunderstorms and even tornados would mark the canvas at any time but the day had broken sunny and only later became hotter and humid the hallmarks of that time of year.

Any storm would lead anyone out on it to take shelter until it passed and then they'd finish their work but this one had been so different. Matt had seen the cyclone clouds tint the horizon a greenish black and knew what that meant. He had taken shelter with a couple other hands even as the barn nearby had nearly been blown inside out yet somehow its structural supports held. But while the winds had been howling, the hail stones pelting the ground right before that eerie silence…he'd been thinking only of C.J. and whether or not she had taken shelter… He'd been tempted to ride after her but knew he had to stay at the barn, comforted by the fact that it had been Tex who had been working the closest to her. When the storm first hit, he'd see to C.J.'s safety and he had done that.

So he had thought all these years or so he'd been told. But her few words about that day long ago seemed to challenge his belief. Before he could ask her more about it, she'd taken off.

He sipped his Scotch knowing that she'd return. She would never let words be unspoken between them. But would she tell him what had been troubling her, and what Tex had to do with it?

His body tensed when he thought about the fact that he'd seen a trace of fear in her eyes not at him but the man who had mentored him while he grew up. What truth was he about to learn about the man he had long admired; did he really want to know differently than what he believed?

Of course he did, C.J. meant more to him than anyone else and had been there whenever he had needed her. Soon she would be returning to the suite and maybe she would need him.

Mostly just to listen.

He got up off the sofa thinking he could do that at least when he heard the front door click and open. Blinking his eyes, he saw C.J. walk into the suite, a look of resolve on her face.

"You're back…"

She nodded.

"I've got something I need to tell you," she said, "Something you're not going to like…"


	9. Chapter 9

Matt just looked at the woman who stood in front of him. The woman he'd known more of his life than the time before she walked into it. But she didn't smile at him, not with her eyes anyway. A small smile curved on her lips but didn't get further than that.

"You want to come inside?"

She nodded and walked in the door as he watched and proceeded to the couch where she sat, folding her legs beneath her looking at him.

"You want anything to drink?"

She shook her head still looking at him, her eyes not leaving his and he approached her sitting in a nearby chair.

"So what do you need to tell me?"

She sighed, looking down at her hands and he thought she might lose her resolve. But when she looked at him, she had a way of gathering strength. Still, she hadn't talked about this with anyone.

"What did you mean when you said earlier that you weren't okay when you returned to the barn?"

She bit her lip looking at him, because she knew that the first words were always the hardest after all.

Then she took a deep breath exhaling it slowly, willing her body to relax. The man in front of her was her best friend after all.

"I was fine at first….after we went into the storm shelter," she said, "We listened to the storm raging outside, the wind blowing, the hail and then…that it all went deadly quiet, you know how it gets before a tornado touches."

Matt nodded, having witnessed more than his share of them. But he knew that once they had gotten beneath ground level, then they were out of danger.

"The storm lasted but a short spell," he said, "you were gone quite a bit longer than that."

C.J. fidgeted with her hands.

"Yeah Houston I know but it rained for quite a while after that and we both decided to wait it out in the shelter and then head on back."

She stopped there, looking down at her hands in front of her. Her shoulders shook slightly.

"That was the plan anyway but…"

Matt leaned forward looking straight at her which wasn't easy because she had lowered her head.

"So what happened next…did he…."

She got up then off the sofa and headed to the French doors looking out into where the wind had picked up its intensity. The leaves of the lush plants on the roof rustled and she felt the warm moist air strike her face. Then she felt rather than saw him standing next to her, so she turned to look at him.

"I don't know why it happened Houston," she said, "I asked myself that question so many times afterward."

"What happened?"

She sighed and pursed her lips as she exhaled.

"I…he…"

She pressed her forehead against the door collecting her thoughts as her breathing threatened to get away from her. She felt his soothing touch on her back.

"I didn't say no to him…at least not at first," she said, "when he started kissing me."

His hand froze on her back and she thought she'd told him too much, but she felt his warmth through her clothes so she knew he was still there.

"I felt attracted to him…I guess I'd been for a while even if I didn't admit it," she said, "so at first, I just let him…"

He didn't interrupt her.

"I know I shouldn't have…"

He sighed next to her.

"No he shouldn't have…you were younger…"

"I know…"

She felt his hand rubbing her back again in a way that had always soothed her, had helped her find the courage to find her words.

"But then you decided you didn't want him to do what he was doing."

She hesitated but then she finally nodded slowly.

"Yes but it was too late…he wasn't listening."

Matt sighed.

"He should have been if he cared at all about you."

She paused again.

"I…it was my first time you know and I didn't like it…and when he was done, he didn't say anything…except that it was time to get back to the barn."

"You didn't tell anyone about it?"

She shrugged.

"Only Julia when we were in college. She wanted me to report him but I couldn't…No one would have believed me and I'd pay for it not him."

"I'd believed you?"

She turned around to look at him.

"Would you have…the guy taught you everything you knew, he saved your life and even though…"

She took a deep breath, catching it in her throat.

"Even though with what he did to me…I could have died in that tornado…if not…"

She looked away again from him.

"C.J…"

She heard the mixture of emotions in that one word and she willed her muscles to relax. He was her closest friend not the enemy.

"I'm sorry Houston that wasn't fair…I never even gave you the chance by not telling you."

"I wish you had…but I understand."

And she heard the anger building in his voice, sensed his own posture hardening like she knew that it would years later.

"Houston…that's why I couldn't…I didn't want to represent him," she said, "I don't believe enough in his innocence."

"You mean you think he's guilty of the charges?"

She sighed.

"I don't know for sure…but it wouldn't surprise me if he's treated other women the way he treated me. I just don't want to represent a man who I think is probably guilty of something…anything even if he's your friend."

His hand relaxed on her back again.

"C.J…because he hurt you, he's not my friend and I'll tell him that."

A part of her relaxed when she heard that because she should have known yet…she sensed his other hand balling into a fist so she whipped her body around, putting a hand on her hip.

"Houston…don't you dare…don't go off and do something."

He ran a hand through his hair and started pacing, in that way of his when inaction weighed heavier on him than indecision.

She stopped him by putting a hand on his chest and looking straight at him.

"Don't…I don't want to have to represent you while you're behind bars on assault or worse," she said, "It might be selfish but I'd rather you stay right here with me."

Her voice caught with her final words and she realized that's what she really needed right now. If the past couldn't be rewritten, she needed to figure out how to deal with it in the present.

And she needed her best friend with her while she decided. Like someone who knew her most of her life, better than anyone else did, he seemed to know what she needed.

"Come here…"

That was all she needed to move closer to him and receive his arms around her, while she pressed her face into his chest like she had done so many times she'd lost track. His arms made her feel safe, the scent of her favorite cologne that he wore, she closed her eyes for a moment.

Then she pulled away and looked at him.

"I don't know what to do about what happened to me."

He looked at her directly while stroking her hair out of her face with his fingers.

"Whatever you decide…I'll support you and help you in any way I can."

She smiled at him, knowing that a huge part of him wanted to track down his mentor and kick the crap out of him but he wouldn't…to help her.

"Even if I want to help that girl or at least talk to her…?"

He didn't hesitate when he nodded.

"We could start tomorrow if you'd like."

She sighed.

"I have to formally drop his case first and that means talking to him at that meeting."

His forehead lined.

"You worried about that?"

She took a deep breath and released it.

"No…I'll be fine, I'll drop from any representation of him and then we can start our own investigation."

He smiled.

"Okay counselor sounds like a plan…but in the meantime let's go get us something to eat."

Her brows rose.

"Barbecue?"

His smile broadened.

"Now I like the way you think," he said, "maybe that's why you're my best friend."

He left the part unspoken about wanting to take it further than that with her but she slipped her hand in his.

"Let's get going then and leave the rest behind for a while okay?"

And that's what they did.


	10. Chapter 10

She woke up the next morning feeling the weight on her shoulders. After leaving Matt's warm embrace last night, she'd headed off to bed…alone. Not that she hadn't been tempted to pull him closer to her, their bodies snugly together and their lips…no she didn't even want to think about that. So she had simply pulled away from his arms, already missing him and then touched his face with her fingers before slipping away.

Sleep hadn't come easily because she and Matt hadn't really talked after she had told him what happened to her in the storm cellar. What did he really think about it, about her? Was he embarrassed that she had told him that she'd been intimate with the man who mentored him growing up? Was he repulsed, did he really not blame her?

No, she knew that he'd never feel that way about her. The way he had wrapped his arms around her and surrounded her with a feeling of safety, she knew that he had believed her. That a part of himself had even felt deeply for what had happened to her, tied in with a trace of guilt that he hadn't known enough to protect her. But what would he protect her from; he had no idea what Tex had really been like back then. C.J. hadn't known either until he'd started kissing and even when she told him he moved too fast, he had already been working his callused hands underneath her shirt and been caressing the bare skin that bordered her bra.

She'd really wanted him to leave her alone then but somehow…she didn't really know what to do. He was too strong to push off and it just moved so quickly. She closed her eyes not wanting to think about it anymore. So it hadn't been the romantic interlude she had dreamed about the first time she'd slept with a guy. Was it ever really like that for a girl? But it hadn't even been close to how she imagined, because she hadn't really been thinking about him. Her cheeks flushed at the guy who had starred in her dreams about romance and young love. Even though she knew reality wouldn't mirror the vision inside her head.

Someone knocked on her door.

Matt.

She moved around pushing the covers off of her. Dressed in her blue silken pajamas she was hardly naked but still she felt exposed even though a solid door separated her from her best friend and now…her boyfriend.

"You up yet?"

She glanced over at the digital clock and saw that it was 7am. Damn, she had her meeting scheduled for Tex at eight. At his condo before heading off to a local restaurant that served some of the best omelets in the city. After she would tell him that she was dropping off of his case. He'd already decided to hire different counsel who could more adequately represent him in this farce of a case so her job shouldn't be too difficult.

But she still didn't look forward to it. She didn't know what Matt would do with what she told him last night.

"I'm…I'm going to take a shower and get dressed," she said, "Should be ready in twenty."

"Okay…I've got to call the office back in L.A. to catch up with the caseload."

She left him to do that and headed towards the shower. The door to his bedroom remained shut and she shed her pajamas after running the water until it became very warm, steam rising until it filled the room. It felt so good splashing over her skin, her shoulders and the ringlets of hair plastered against her skin. She shampooed and conditioned her hair and then turned off the water, grabbed some towels and got out to dry off. The mirror was steamed over but she rubbed it to see her reflection. If it'd been a casual day, she would have let her hair dry naturally but that wouldn't work so she spent some time combing it out and then hitting it with a dryer.

She heard Matt moving around outside the door and smiled. Despite everything that happened, she was happy that he had joined her. Last night, she'd felt a bit raw after what she'd told him and after watching his reaction on his face, she braced herself for what he might do or say. But he'd simply asked her to come closer so he could hug her closely. It had been what she needed so much, acceptance of her and the feel of his body against her in ways that soothed her.

After she got dressed in her legal attire, she walked out of the bedroom to see Matt sitting on the lounge couch reading a newspaper. The fact that Tex had bailed out formed a headline on the bottom half of the front page.

"Houston, I'll be ready to leave in a moment."

He moved the paper down to look at her.

"You okay this morning?"

She licked her lips and nodded.

"Yeah I am but I'll be glad when it's done."

He nodded back at her and put the newspaper down on the coffee table.

"Then let's get going…"

She followed him to the door of the suite and they both left to head down to the car.

* * *

><p>Tex ran his hand through his hair looking at the two of them. C.J. hadn't expected him to be irate with her news. After all, he had told them that he wanted different legal counsel because her past feelings with him might make her biased. Of course, he tried to spin the story that she had been attracted to him as a teenager and then miffed when he rebuffed her advances.<p>

Matt held up his hand at that part of the story.

"Wait a minute there," he said, "Let's cut the bull. I know the truth."

Tex tilted his face.

"You do…then you know why I couldn't resist her."

C.J. arched her brows. Okay that was new. Now he was admitting he'd had sex with her if it could be called that. She tried so hard to use those words but somehow they didn't fit with what she remembered.

He hadn't given to her just taken. It was like she hadn't been there, at least not as herself. The young girl who had admired the man once.

"Just stop it."

The words came out of her mouth before she could censor them. She hadn't wanted to get into anything with Tex, certainly not about the past they shared. She had just wanted to drop the case and then walk out of the room without looking back.

"What…why would I be interested in a kid? When I could have gone and found myself a grown woman who knows how to take care of a man?"

C.J. just put her hands on her hips, anger filling her so quickly that she didn't know if she'd be able to rein it in, even a little. But damn, a part of her felt hurt. She'd realized then she had hoped all this time that he'd feel badly about what he'd done to her that day.

"I was there…that's what it was wasn't it," she said, "We were both trapped in the storm cellar with each other trying to get away from a tornado. I was scared…even though I couldn't say it and I just wanted someone…to tell me everything was going to be fine. I didn't…I didn't want…"

She felt harshness slip into her breathing from the past. Her muscles tightened and she felt her hands clench into fists at her sides.

"You wanted it…you were moving closer to me…what was I supposed to do?"

She narrowed her eyes.

"You were older Tex…you were supposed to be the one making sure everything would be fine," she said, "that we'd get out of there safe when the tornado passed but…"

She walked away from him then and almost made it to the door. The meeting was over as far as she was concerned because she couldn't finish. Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder and looked to see that it was Matt's.

"Come on, let's go…"

She blinked and nodded. His voice had been soft though the timbre of anger underneath was impossible to miss. She knew if they didn't leave then that Matt might do something that might get him tossed in jail.

"Okay I'm ready….I don't want to stay if I can leave."

She cast another look at Tex who just looked as if he were befuddled by her attitude and words towards him but she knew better to believe that. But as fast as her feet could take her away from him would have to be good enough.

Matt walked beside her, his hand still on her shoulder, sturdy and she could feel his reassurance even above his anger. He stopped and looked at Tex.

"You're on your own," he said, "and you're just lucky I'm not going to knock you across the room for what you did."

Tex shook his head.

"You're going to believe what she told you? You know how it is with young woman, how they embellish so that the truth is lost."

Matt stared straight at him, his entire body rigid. As if any moment, he would do what he said he wouldn't.

"Houston…"

He glanced at her and then looked back at Tex.

"We'll be leaving now," he said, "Like I said, you're just lucky I'm walking away."

Tex grew silent then clearly knowing not to push any of Matt's buttons and as they left the room, C.J. felt some of the weight off her shoulders. She slipped an arm around his waist as they continued walking.

"Houston, I just want to go get something to eat."

He smiled at her.

"Let's head to that restaurant. Best omelets in town or so I've heard."

They headed out of the building and out into the parking lot. The sun was still shining but the moist warm wind that wrapped itself like a blanket around them had returned. That meant that the storm that the weatherman had promised would soon be arriving.

Matt appeared to read her mind.

"Come on…we've got enough time to eat and then we'll head on back…"

She nodded and they headed into the car to go to the restaurant. They'd eat plenty of good food and then spend the rest of the day sheltered from the storm in the hotel as the storm raged around outside. But as she saw the dark clouds in the distance, memories flashed inside her mind no matter how hard she tried to push them away.

She didn't want him to know it so she just smiled at him and rested her head against his shoulder before they got into the car.


	11. Chapter 11

Matt had spent most of the night thinking of all the ways he wanted to take Tex apart.

Anger had filled him when C.J. had told him what had happened in the storm shelter during that tornado years ago. All he had remembered from that day was how relieved he'd been to see that she'd been safe, he'd been so scared while waiting at the barn for her. He'd been so thankful that Tex had looked out for her.

Only he hadn't know the entire truth. He should have known, he should have figured out that something wasn't right. That C.J. hadn't been her usual self around him after the storm but he'd attributed it to barely surviving a tornado that hit the ranch. They'd focused the next several weeks fixing up the barn and other areas on the huge spread that had been damaged. Fencing up the livestock temporarily in makeshift paddocks until the broken down and tossed about fencing could be replaced. Thinking back, she'd been so quiet and hadn't said much but she'd worked hard from sunrise to sunup. They all had done that until the ranch looked like it had before the storm.

C.J. had been alone in her bedroom trying to deal with what she'd told him and it had been hard to release her after he hugged her goodnight. He enjoyed the way her body felt molded to his own but he knew she needed her space. But he'd stood by her when she had confronted Tex dropping from the case and they'd walked out leaving his lifelong friend and mentor behind him. He even restrained himself from kicking his ass from the office to the city limits and back again. His hands had itched at his sides to punch Tex's lights out. Plenty of time to ruin his life for him later…but he and C.J. were going to head back to the hotel after breakfast to strategize for arranging to meet up with Lindsey now that C.J. had stopped representing the man accused of abusing her.

The omelets were as good as he remembered when he'd brought Elizabeth here on a pre-wedding holiday. Made to order even in the shape of Texas if so desired, the cooks were used to Matt and his omelet orders. Roasted potatoes with some spices added that Matt recognize but couldn't name and C.J. had gotten herself one of those flaky crisp Belgian waffles with strawberries and mango draped on them. She poured herself plenty of syrup before tackling them. She seemed content enough but her eyes…well Matt had always been able to read her so well…at least most of the time. They were beautiful eyes, like emeralds only sometimes when the light hit them right, he saw flecks of gold as well. They showed her emotions, from joy to humor, to grief.

But sometimes…they didn't show as much or what they did, he couldn't decipher and despite her smiles and easy going demeanor, he read something in their depths that didn't quite match the rest of her. He knew better than to ask about it, if she had anything she wanted to say, she'd do it in her own time.

"How's your omelet or need I ask given that most of it's gone."

He sighed, because he had pretty much inhaled it but he'd been so hungry.

"Great as I remember," he said, "You know Deke here once worked some ranches back near Abilene."

"Yeah I remember that" C.J. said, "used to go there when I was scouting colleges."

She had considered quite a few because being a hard working brainiac as her friends called her, she'd been in high demand by various institutions inside the state and out. She'd always been so damn smart, sharp as a whip with her words in response to any question asked of her on just about anything. Studying hard when she hadn't been working the ranch even harder, anything to please the uncle who considered her an obligation rather than kin…

"Houston…I know what it's like to be Lindsey and not have any parents," she said, "I remember what it's like looking for someone to love you because you're family."

Matt listened because he knew how it had been with C.J. and her uncle. The man had loved and lost a child of his own to a drowning in the lake that bordered both of their ranches. C.J. had shown up as a ward of the court not long after that, after an accident had taken out both of her parents. Bill had told his own son often enough that if her uncle had ever been able to grieve the loss of his only child, a son he might be able to allow his heart to open enough to love his niece. But C.J. had never been loved or treated the way she deserved but he and his own family had tried to make up for that.

And so had Tex, taking her under his wing as he'd taken Matt teaching them everything they would ever need to know about ranching…and a lot about life. But he hadn't turned out to be what Matt thought. He'd seen C.J. at least as a young girl to abuse and later, Matt as loyal enough to the man who mentored him to keep silent. Matt's fists clenched again at the thought of what he wanted to do to the man who had practically reared him when his father hadn't been around. He'd taken advantage of her when she'd been scared for her life during the tornado and had taken something out of her in return.

But he watched her eating in silence, enjoying her omelet. Her eyes glancing up at his occasionally if wondering what he were thinking. Maybe she knew enough already to know it was about her.

"Houston…just don't think about him," she said, "I want to think about Lindsey…if we can talk with her."

If they'd let C.J. and him talk to her because after all, C.J. had originally been retained to defend Tex which would mean undermining and even destroying a young girl's credibility.

"Maybe you should talk to the prosecutor."

She looked up at him suddenly and she read him well. She read that there were more ways to make sure Tex paid for what he did to here years ago than beating the crap out of him.

"Maybe I should…but it's been a long time and I never reported him."

He sighed, sipping his orange juice.

"You just did…when you told me. If you want, I'll tell them that."

She bit her lip seriously thinking about it. Did she want to go down this road that she'd been unwilling to travel down years ago? She just hadn't trusted that anyone would care enough to help her in a culture where she'd already learned that when men did things to women, it's because the women asked for it. But did she trust the system now?

After all, her background in criminal law going back to interning as a clerk with F. Lee Bailey had been on the defense side of the fence. Part of the reasoning had been because she hadn't trusted the justice system perhaps but it didn't matter because when Matt wanted a lawyer for his fledgling company, she had jumped ship to go corporate.

She'd never regretted it either though she learned from the case here and there where her criminal legal skills were needed that she had been attracted to it. Her volunteer work in Legal Aid had begun to bring her full circle back with helping people especially women.

What she knew now is that she wanted to help Lindsey.

"I'm done…how about you," she said, "Maybe we'd better think about heading on back. Looks like it might start storming soon."

Then she felt her cell phone vibrate and saw that she received a text from an unknown caller.

"_Better watch your step…I'm watching."_

That didn't make much sense because the warnings she'd received, the one near miss didn't it have to do with her representation of Tex? It seemed obvious to her that someone out there didn't like that she'd taken his case but she'd dropped off it. Did this anonymous caller not know that or was there another reason behind the harassment?

She looked over at Matt as he reached for his coat. Should she tell him, but then she thought not. Why get him worked up over some anonymous texts? She got up and he joined her and they walked out into the parking lot towards the car.

But when she reached the car, she noticed something on the windshield. Matt saw it first and reached for it, a piece of paper which he unfolded and his eyes widened.

It was a picture of her, a photograph taken when she'd been a teenager, about 17 she guessed. In fact, she'd just turned 17, she knew because she was wearing her blue dress and her hair up in a bun. In the picture, she'd been standing next to a birthday cake with lit candles and smiling at the camera.

Matt had been holding it, taking her picture. She'd been smiling at him. But looking at the copy of the photo that Matt held, she wasn't smiling now; she felt a rush of different emotions fill her because there had been something about that party…

"C.J…"

Had Matt seen her reaction? She swallowed the lump in her throat and just looked at him, trying to look neutral. Did she look like she was trying too hard?

"I'm ready to get back to the hotel."

"This picture…"

She forced a smile on her face as he studied it closely.

"It's from one of your birthday parties," he said, "I think you were 17."

She nodded.

"Yeah it was in the clubhouse at your ranch," she said, "We were just getting ready to serve the cake to everyone."

They'd been outside and she'd been chatting with her friends from school under the huge oak tree and Matt had been playing touch football with his friends.

"You looked so beautiful there," he said, "You took my breath away though I never told you that."

"You couldn't…you were dating was it Marlene?"

He nodded, remembering the cheerleader who he'd been seeing for several months. They didn't last long after C.J.'s party.

"What about you?"

She just fell silent because she hadn't been seeing anyone. She'd been counting the hours and the minutes until the party would be over, the guests would be heading on home and she'd be cleaning up.

Hoping that time would stand still and that moment wouldn't ever arrive…but of course time stopped for no one and the party had ended.

She glanced away from Matt for a moment and then she moved to get into the car. He just watched her before joining her.

Then they drove back to the hotel just as the first drops of rain threatened.

He


	12. Chapter 12

The rain started splattering the window and C.J. just looked out onto the patio outside their suite. Matt had been on the phone calling Roy and Hoyt back in L.A. to follow up on cases they had been working on before they came to San Diego.

She thought a lot about Lindsey and the story that she had finally told police about what had happened to her and Tex. C.J. knew that she had held it close to her for a long while agonizing about what to do. The battle between emotions threatening to take her over…and not knowing which side would win. Anguish and confusion…and shame over what happened and the need to talk to someone about it, to feel less isolated from the world. She wished she'd been as brave as Lindsey had been but then look what happened to the young girl so far. Her credibility was already beginning to be attacked by Tex and no doubt his next lawyer but C.J. thought at least she wouldn't do that for him and be a part of tearing apart a young girl who'd already lived a rough life.

Her own life had threatened to go that route. She'd been so close to having to go to court to be named a ward of the state. She'd never had a chance to even grieve her parents' deaths until she'd settled in with her uncle on his ranch in Texas. The hard work he had her do while turning her into another of his ranch hands had helped her start healing. The overwhelming exhaustion of a day's work not to mention her schooling had lowered all those rigid defensive walls she'd built the moment that she got the news of their deaths.

Lindsey had never had that stability in her own life. C.J. imagined she was trying to recover from a world of pain beginning with the loss of her own parents. She had bounced around from one living arrangement to another and it hadn't taken long to start her criminal record.

When she had seen Tex, she'd seen someone who she thought cared about and would help her. C.J. had been drawn to him herself when she'd first seen him. He had taken Matt and her under his wing and taught them so much. She knew Matt had admired him more than just about anybody and she had too. Until…she closed her eyes not wanting to think about it. She'd put her past and what had happened in it behind her years ago.

But seeing Tex and hearing these allegations pop up with Lindsey, it didn't seem like the past could ever truly be buried.

The rain streamed down the rain in front of her and she heard the rumble of thunder. The storm must be finally about to hit San Diego. It was the remnants of a hurricane that had threatened the region after dissipating over land for a while on its way from Mexico.

She walked over to go pour herself some wine, it'd been a long day and she just wanted to unwind. Maybe they could order in rather than brave the harsh weather outside.

Matt got off the phone with Roy and then left a message for Hoyt who was in a meeting with the brass over an investigation. He knew that C.J. was in the other room and he'd given her some space. After what they'd done today, they were both feeling stressed. He'd turned on his close friend and mentor threatening him and he still felt the aftermath but he'd had no choice.

Not after learning what Tex had done to his best friend…now his girlfriend something that amazed him. He left his bedroom and walked out to see her sitting on the couch, her legs tucked beneath her sipping a glass of wine. She smiled when she saw him.

"Hiya…you done with catching up with work in L.A.?"

He nodded before heading off to the bar to pour himself a glass of Scotch.

"It's really starting to come down out there."

"Yeah what's left of Typhoon Nancy," C.J. said, "I thought I might eat in tonight."

He grabbed his glass and sat in a chair next to her.

"Great idea…they've got some great Italian cuisine…including pizza."

She put her glass down and clasped her hands, placing them under her chin to better look at him. He looked tired but way too handsome in his suit sitting there.

"I'll take some of that," she said, "I wonder if they have cayenne peppers to add to it."

"I'll take some of those too," he said, "I'll go call room service."

She watched him go, remembering all the nights they'd eaten pizza together. The best being Mama's of course but since she'd sold the business and moved with her family out of L.A., Matt and C.J. had discovered a couple of other hidden away pizzerias in L.A. to frequent…though it wasn't quite the same. Mama and Vince kept inviting them to visit but they'd been so busy, they put it off.

Besides Mama would freak out though probably very happily so if she found out that he and C.J. well….they were a couple now. She'd take the first flight to L.A. to plan the wedding even before the proposal. Oh he had plans to do that in due time but first things first, the courtship. He called in his order and figured they had enough wine and scotch to keep them for a couple of days.

He called back to her.

"You want tiramisu?"

Her face brightened.

"Oh yes…and some gelato on the side to put in the freezer."

He finished the order and then hung up the phone then walked over to sit back on his chair.

"Thanks…some great food would be the perfect way to end the day."

He smiled.

"We've eaten a lot of pizzas."

"Hundreds maybe thousands…and hopefully many more…"

She sipped her wine thoughtfully, her curly hair around her shoulders. He thought nothing could be more beautiful.

"You are thinking about Lindsey?"

She nodded.

"I know I shouldn't…I meant to put it away for the day," she said, "but I hate what is going to happen to her."

"Maybe you can help her."

"I'd like to…but I haven't even met her," she said, "and Houston at this point in her life she's not going to trust anyone."

He sighed, realizing her point. Everyone in her life had abused that trust including his former friend.

"I mean Houston…maybe she put every ounce of trust she had left in Tex," she said, "Maybe after what he did, there's nothing left."

He paused for a long moment.

"Did that happen to you?"

She thought about it and shook her head.

"I didn't trust many people," she said, "For a long time, mostly you and your father. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't been there."

"You shouldn't have had to keep that secret for so long."

She shrugged.

"I didn't think it'd do any good," she said, "and I survived…it wasn't easy but there are good people in the world including men."

She looked down at her hands and grew pensive.

"Lindsey will find a way to trust," Matt said, "Somehow I think she'll trust you."

"I hope so," C.J. said, "I did some work with juveniles when I was back in Houston in the PD's office. I did juvenile defendants for a while and with the girls…no matter what they were charged with…they always came from backgrounds where their parents either weren't really there for them or they abused them."

She felt troubled just remembering what it'd been like when she'd worked that job. Not that she hadn't enjoyed it but she knew she'd never be able to focus in criminal law. Soon after, she went to L.A. to help Matt start his new company that would later turn into a business empire.

"It's a rough world out there," he said, "If my father hadn't taken me in…after Wade fell apart."

C.J. knew the story of Matt's true parentage and how he came to live with Bill the man who raised him. He'd told her not long after his engagement went bust and they spent the weekend out at his cabin in Pinewood. Fishing, cooking up meals and spending hours hiking in the canyons and mostly talking…just about everything…and learning new things about each other.

"He did…and they both did the best they could because they loved you," she said, "Wade made his peace with having to give you up and was there when you needed him…because if anything had happened to you that day…"

Some of the fear and a lot of the relief crept into her voice.

"I missed my father so much Houston," she said, "My mama…she and I were never as close as I was with my dad. He used to take me to work with him, show me what he did. God, it's so hard when you're a kid to realize that someone you hugged goodbye in the morning won't be coming home ever again."

He put down his scotch glass and moved to sit with her in the couch, sliding his arm around her and hugging her close to him. She nestled against his warmth, smelling his cologne so glad that they were together.

"I guess that's why I needed him so much…I needed him to care about me and love me…but I wasn't ready for what he wanted instead."

"He should have known that."

She shrugged in his embrace.

"I don't know if he cared," she said, "If he had…never mind…I think our pizza's here."

Sure enough the doorbell rang and she went to get it and to tip the bellman who brought in their pizza and desserts. Matt watched her moving around setting it up and knew she'd been about to say something but what?

He knew he needed to find out. 


	13. Chapter 13

Matt remembered the photo of when C.J. had been all dressed up for her 17th birthday. She'd looked so pretty back then, but she'd always been pretty to him. It's just that when she matured from a skinny girl to a young woman with some curves, he'd really begun to notice….not that he ever thought of acting on it not most of the time anyway. He'd been popular with the girl after he'd done his own growing up, when muscles began to fill out his lanky frame thanks to time spent playing football along with his ranching work.

He never stayed with one girlfriend very long before moving to the next. He wanted to get it on with them just like any guy his age, the more variety the better…like going inside a candy shop or test driving different models of his favorite means of transportation besides his gelding, a motorcycle.

C.J…well she was certainly beyond pretty…but she'd always been his best friend. He didn't want to group her in with the other women he got down and dirty with…didn't want her to be one of the girls he left behind when he chose another willing lover.

Besides, she seemed more into her studies than into guys. She wanted to graduate at the top of her class and then someday be some hot shot lawyer. Her studies and after school activities kept her very buy along with her own ranching chores…she didn't seem to have time for a boyfriend.

But there'd been this part of her life she'd never shared with him…or anyone and it'd come back to haunt her.

C.J. looked over at Matt and thought about what it'd been like when they were both growing up. He hadn't had her pegged nearly as much as he thought…which he found out one day.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Years Earlier…<strong>_

She saw him tying his horse to the trunk of a dogwood tree and she that just watching him wouldn't be enough. Something had changed inside of her, the way she felt about him not that she'd ever let on. They'd been friends forever and she never thought that'd change until recently.

She'd spent the past couple of hours splitting rail and had started looking for a place to tie up her mare and had her lunch…under a nice tree by the stream. One of her favorite spots to be alone with her thoughts.

Only someone had beaten her to it.

His buckskin gelding nuzzled his shoulder before scrounging around for tufts of burnt out grass for lunch. Matt had pulled his own meal out of his saddlebag and had taken it to a grassy mound near the stream that snaked through the valley. The water supply nurtured it to a healthier shade of green like lima beans and she knew from experience, it made a soft cushion for any ranch hand hoping to rest his or her heels for a spell.

But Matt wasn't just any ranch hand; he was her best friend in the whole world for most of her life. She had watched him grow up from a scraggly teenage kid with attitude to a leanly muscled adult male who filled out nicely even as he grew up. His face appeared carved out of granite having lost its baby fat and his eye matched his wardrobe of faded jeans and a work shirt that molded to his torso.

He could tote hay bales one after the other from the truck to the barn, all afternoon if necessary and his body had known riding horses since before he walked. When he wasn't in high school, he had split his time between working the livestock over his daddy's spread and playing quarterback on the varsity team. That didn't leave him much time for anything else well, except he'd been finding time to spend time with a string of girlfriend. None of whom lasted longer than a month before he moved onto another.

She on the other hand didn't get guys and the whole dating scene. She'd been out with a couple of guys from her high school class but they'd been afraid of her. Too smart for one thing and without enough sense to keep it hidden from guys…besides Matt the only man who didn't seem intimidated by her was Tex but being quite a bit older he hardly counted.

She bit her lip watching him now and rode her chestnut mare up to the clearing so she could tie it up next to his horse. The mare nickered when she saw her friend, the gelding and even though it made no sense, the two horses had always gotten along like family. She dismounted and pulled her own lunch out of her saddlebag including a bottle of water which slid down her throat nicely removing the coating of dust that had left it parched.

The weather proved to be arid most of the time in the valley and on spring afternoons like this, could get quite warm, pushing the envelope on the arrival of summer. That season never failed to produce an insufferable blanket of heat and humidity that could choke those who worked the land.

"C.J.…"

Damn he had seen her and sure enough he sat there looking at her having just finished his sandwich.

She walked over to him, feeling comfortable enough in her worn jeans that molded nicely to her lithe figure and her cotton shirt protecting her from the heat. He smiled and patted the spot next to him.

"Come sit a spell."

She looked at him warily.

"I remember what happened in the barn."

His mouth quirked.

"You mean when you walked in on me and Ashleigh kissing?"

.

She nodded though the two of them had been doing more than that on the hay bale. Not that they'd taken their clothes off but their bodies had been intertwine on the hay bale. Not that they'd taken their clothes off but their bodies had been intertwined in a way that made her blush.

"Yeah that and then you took off on your horse like you were pissed with me," she said, " left me in your dust and now I'm here."

She folded her arms.

"I wasn't pissed. Just didn't expect to see you like that," she said, "I mean anyone could walk in on you."

He almost looked sheepish and she just rolled her eyes at him and walked down to the stream.

He appraised her figure, she noticed and she felt the heat inside her build in response. Damn him for looking at her like that but it was probably automatic on his part, almost obligatory. Her breasts tingled beneath her shirt, and other parts of her, well they noticed him too. She shifted her position because she started feeling uncomfortable. Damn she shouldn't be thinking this way about her best friend…or any guy. She had to focus on her studies and her chores…all her life she'd wanted to go to Harvard Law School but knew she had to work her ass off to get there.

Matt seldom missed anything. No one could read a horse better than him, or sweet talk a bull into moving back into his pen and what he could do to a woman…well she could only imagine. If only he knew what he'd done to her during some moments when she couldn't keep him in his proper place…like right now.

Her cheeks flushed.

Not like she'd know personally because until the morning in the barn, he had just glanced at her in passing while they had remained inside the confines of their working relationship.

"Oh that…well you're here now and that's what matters…"

"What…"

She went back to the grassy knoll where they sat together, their shoulders brushing. No harm in that.

"I've been thinking," he said, "It's a nice day…"

She nodded in agreement.

"Sure is…almost too nice to be working…"

"I agree…"

She arched a brow at him.

"Then what do you suggest we do then?"

He chuckled.

"Sit back here and enjoy the scenery a spell," he said, "I'm free today…"

She frowned.

"What about Ashleigh…I thought you were hot and heavy with her these days."

He shook his head.

"We broke up," he said, "not ready to settle down…too young for that."

That made some sense to her. After all, they'd been dating a month…long enough to wear out his patience.

"So what's going on with you," he said, "You still too busy to go for a boyfriend?"

She narrowed her eye.

"Houston…there are more important things," she said, "but no…I'm not too busy…In fact, someone left a note for me in the mailbox…wants to get to know me better."

He frowned at that and she didn't much like that.

"What guy…does he have a name?"

She bit her lip.

"Yeah…but he didn't sign it…maybe he's shy."

Matt chuckled again.

"Sounds strange to me…"

"What…that it's not signed or that some guy would want to go out with me?"

He sighed, perhaps knowing he'd hit a nerve with her.

"I'm sorry but you have to admit…it's a bit peculiar don't you think?"

She snorted.

"Maybe for a stud like you but for me…it sounds kind of fun."

He waggled his brows and she hated it when he did that. She waited for him to laugh at her or crack some joke and she'd just walk away from him. He teased her a lot…in fun and she did like but sometimes she just didn't want to be reminded that she lacked a social life. Sure enough, his face looked too damn smug for her liking.

"Matlock Houston…"

That brought him to attention. After all, she never called him that unless she was upset with him.

"C.J…I…"

Oh she wanted to knock that look off of his face and suddenly she knew how to do it in a way he wouldn't quickly forget.

She leaned closer…a lot closer to him zeroing in on that mouth and she kissed him. Softly at first, tentatively awaiting his rejection…but then sensing none, she dialed up the intensity a bit. She'd put her hands flat on his chest and enjoyed the sensations humming inside her body. Oh she'd wanted this…and she just realized how much right now.

Then she noticed something…not only did he not pull away, he started kissing her back.

His lips felt tender, even as they probed her own, kissing her gently and then intensifying the pressure which send trails of sparks throughout her that were of pleasure instead of light. Her lips burned but she didn't back away from him or back down, kissing him in return while reaching a hand over to stroke his healthy crop of dark hair.

Oh man, she thought as his tongue tried to tease her into opening her mouth to take it inside, where she would just die if he tasted her there. She opened up slightly and he thrust his tongue inside, and it danced inside of her mouth, almost enough to make her sigh if she could. But she just relished how he stroked the inside of her mouth with it, definitely owning it. Her body chafed, wanting so much more from him.

"God, you can kiss me anytime," she said, when he released her.

He smiled and picked a strand of grass out of her hair.

"Anytime, any place," he asked, "but what if I want to do much more than just kiss?"

Her eyes danced. Surely he couldn't be serious but she'd play along. The kiss they shared left her feeling bolder.

"Like what?"

He kissed her again on the mouth, and then his hands started fiddling under her shirt. Before she knew it, she felt their gentle, teasing pressure on her breasts, which pushed up against their confinement.

"Like this…"

He gently nudged her down on the grass by the stream and nudged her legs apart, moving between them. Damn, she felt his hardness against her then, with just a few layers of clothing between them, she felt how aroused he had gotten. She licked her lips as he looked down at her; the grass tickled the back of her neck as he lowered his mouth on hers as he unbuttoned her pants.

She sighed thinking it didn't get any better than this…she couldn't believe he wanted her this way and she wanted him too.

"Damn you're pretty…"

She ran her hands on his back sliding them beneath his shirt feeling the muscles ripple in his back. His own hands working her pants which nearly stopped her breathing…

"Oh god Houston…I want this so much…"

Then his hands froze suddenly and he stared at her, already moving away.

"No I can't…I can't do this not with you."

The sting of rejection slapped her hard and she just lay there.

"Why not…it's what we both want…"

He sat up, his clothes disheveled.

"Because we can't….C.J. you're my best friend and I'm not ruining it by getting my rocks off."

She slowly refastened her pants looking at what almost looked like anguish on her face. They didn't say much after that as they both tried to smooth it over…but damn she felt so humiliated…she'd bared herself to him in a way she hadn't with anyone and he rejected her. Why, didn't matter to her in fact she barely heard him.

He got up and went to get his horse saying something about needing to get back to work, but she knew what he wanted was to get far away from her.

Oh she felt hurt but even angrier. She didn't need that crap from him. She knew what she wanted to do next as she got back on her own horse.

It turned out to be the biggest mistake of her life.


	14. Chapter 14

The pizza proved delicious and both dove into it. The remnants of the typhoon had socked the area so they knew it'd be a while before either went out again. But the suite was nice and C.J. planned to get some work done.

Matt had been on the phone with Roy checking on the office and after hanging up, went to pour himself another Scotch.

"You need anything?"

She nodded.

"Refresh my wine."

He took the glass from her.

"Anything…that's some pretty nice white wine," he said, "Jacob's winery isn't it?"

She smiled.

"Yeah small world isn't it?"

Matt had almost bought a share of the winery once but then Jacob's brother in law had wanted it so he acquiesced. The place had started out small but had become successful enough to expand to become one of the most successful brands out of Temecula Valley.

He joined her on the couch and noticed her looking pensively at the newspaper.

"What's got you so wrapped up?"

She glanced up when he handed her the wine.

"There's an article on the case," she said, "including how Tex's hiring new counsel."

"Who'd he get?"

"Another protégée of F. Lee's," she said, "working out of the city."

He sipped his scotch before reaching for another slice of pizza.

"Not his best one…but it'd make sense for him to lawyer up as quickly as possible."

She sighed.

"I know but I know how F. Lee trains them," she said, "It's not going to be easy for Lindsey…especially now that the press is involved."

"They didn't name her did they?"

"They didn't have to Houston," she said, "They can find her and just the exposure to reporters…it could become a greater nightmare pretty quickly."

He heard the edge in her voice and knew that the case cut her to the quick. Some of why he knew about but the rest left him guessing. He'd known C.J. all his life but obviously there were gaps in her history he hadn't known about even when they'd grown up so close together.

"Was that why you didn't tell on him?"

She looked at him reaching for her wine glass.

"Maybe partly…I was only 16 Houston…I don't know how I would have handled it if anyone found out," she said, "The way people talked in the valley."

He digested that.

"I just wanted to forget about it…not that it lasted very long," she said, "He left for six months after that and when he came back, it was like it never happened."

Matt paused.

"But it did…and maybe he left because he was worried someone would find out about it."

C.J. fell silent and picked up a slice of pizza to start eating it.

"Maybe…or maybe there was someone else," she said, "and it did come out and they were trying to keep it quiet. I don't know…all I knew was that when he left, I could start living again."

He heard a hint of what she must have felt back then in her voice now.

"I wish I had told him that I would go tell someone about what he did," she said, "but I was so confused, and I was scared and part of me had these feelings for him anyway…I didn't know what I wanted until it happened and then I knew it wasn't what I wanted at all."

Matt sighed.

"He shouldn't have done anything at all to take advantage of you," he said, "He was supposed to protect you when the tornado broke out not…"

"But he did do that…I might not have made it to the storm cellar in time," she said, "It came up so fast and furious…one minute everything had been sunny and calm and then the next…everything was in chaos."

Matt knew how tornados could sneak up on a person and that's why they proved to be so deadly. He'd grown up with them and he knew to seek shelter since he'd been a little boy.

"I thought I wasn't going to make it when it whipped up just behind me," she continued, "I just didn't realize I was safer out there in the storm."

She fell silent for a long moment.

"I just never saw it coming Houston…"

He sighed.

"You were only 16…he had no business…"

"I know that now…but that took a long time," she said, "I blamed myself for what happened…though I couldn't figure out what it was that I did."

"It's what he did C.J.," Matt said, "He's the one to blame and if I'd known…"

She bit her lip.

"You weren't much older yourself and if something had happened to you…"

Matt knew that the man who mentored him hadn't been who he thought and if he had discovered what he'd done to C.J…his fists clenched and his muscles tensed just at the thought.

"You don't know how he'd react if you found out his secret."

She had a point but he wouldn't have cared. He also knew that if his father had known, he'd gone after the man himself. Bill had always viewed C.J. as the daughter he never had and was thus very protective of her.

"I know now and at least for Lindsey there are people who know what he's capable of doing who can help her."

C.J. nodded reaching for her wine glass again.

"Like I said, I want to do that…someone needs to be there to help prove she's not a liar," she said, "and help her understand she didn't cause it."

He reached over to take her wine glass away from her and slid his arm around her. She welcomed it, leaning towards him.

"I got through it Houston," she said, "and I'm okay…I'm better than that."

He looked at her closely.

"Is talking about it going to bring it all back?"

She frowned a moment.

"Maybe some of it…it's not the best episode of my life but it's not all of my life."

Her voice sounded firm and strong to him. He tightened his hold on her and she relaxed against him. His fingers started stroking her face as he studied the features he knew so well.

"You okay…with us?"

She smiled, her eyes lightening up.

"Damn straight I am Houston," she said, "I just don't want to rush into it…I want to enjoy spending time with you like right now."

He smiled back at her.

"Works for me," he said, "You ready for some dessert?"

She seemed to consider it but then she shook her head.

"Maybe in a little bit," she said, "I have everything I need right here."

So did he.

* * *

><p>She walked into the darkened room that had earlier been lit up candles on a birthday cake. It'd been chocolate, her favorite with creamy frosting and there'd been 17 of those pink candles carefully arranged.<p>

Now, she stood by the window still wearing her pretty dress standing near the window looking outside. The party had been fun enough but she'd been on edge. Most of her friends had been there, so had Matt who had made her laugh more than once despite herself.

And then there'd been Tex. He'd fade back into the woodwork during most the party and when her friends had left, she felt the tension grow. Matt had kissed her on the cheek being the last to depart and she'd placed her hand on the window pane watching him head back to his neighboring ranch.

She sensed him behind her even before she heard the footsteps.

"They all gone?"

She pressed her lips firmly together.

"Well are they?"

She nodded silently as he approached her. She braced herself for when he'd touch her.

"Then it's just the two of us now isn't it?"

She didn't look at him but she caught the hint of his cologne. His hands gripped her shoulders and she flinched.

"What's wrong…something bothering you?"

"Please….don't…."

But she knew he wouldn't listen.

* * *

><p>She woke up with a start, her heart beating rapidly in her chest. She was in her bed and stared into the darkness. Outside her window, the wind howled and she heard the rain hit the glass. She got out of her bed to go make herself some tea.<p>

Matt and she had finished up with some dessert before heading off to bed. He'd kissed her goodnight and for a moment she'd been tempted…but she felt like she needed to head to bed alone.

But when she walked out into the central area she saw him sitting on the couch hitting some more of the tasty gelato.

"Any left?"

He smiled at her and nodded and she decided she might try some more of that. So she got a bowl and served herself. Then she joined him on the couch curling her legs beneath her.

"Couldn't sleep?"

She just looked at him and shrugged.

"The storm…it's pretty fierce outside."

He stretched after putting his own bowl down.

"It's going to be here for a while," he said, "but the roads should be safe tomorrow to go see Lindsey."

She nodded.

"Were you thinking about him?"

She paused and then nodded again.

"I was remembering a bit but I suppose that's to be expected," she said, "with everything that's been happening."

The phone rang startling them both and she looked at Matt who went to answer it. She watched him pick it up and listen.

"Who…?"

He looked over at her and then he hung up.

"No one said anything," he said, "Wrong room maybe."

But remembering the warnings, she wondered.


	15. Chapter 15

**_Earlier…_**

C.J had gone to classes that morning like nothing had happened. She was a year older and set to finish school with one year remaining.

The first days had been the usual scrambling around to get books and find the right classrooms. Honor classes again this year and to sign up for her activities.

She wanted to do the debate team and wondered if the meets fit her afternoon schedule of working the ranch. She wished she could tell her uncle that she didn't want to do the chores at the Houston ranch but she knew he'd want an explanation. She could say with her school schedule and her own chores she didn't have enough time but…then he'd want her to drop all of her activities. He didn't cotton much to doing anything after school but working.

Important to keep busy doing hard work to stay out of trouble. But telling him the truth…not an option. There wasn't anyone she could talk to about the man everyone respected. He mentored her best friend for goodness sake. And all Matt talked about was how much he'd learned from Tex, how he'd saved his life more than once.

He'd saved her life too but in her case it'd cost her.

"Hey C.J. did you get Mr. Myers for trig?"

She looked up and saw Hannah looking at her. She nodded.

"I got Mrs. Wells for advanced English too. Don't know that happened. I barely passed the test."

C.J had blew through it with flying colors like the rest and she liked Mrs. Wells. The woman taught a load of classes while her husband was stationed as a contractor overseas in Kosovo or some other torn up country.

"Are you going out for the debate team?"

"I don't know…I'm working extra hours at another ranch to help out for a while."

Hannah sighed.

"You were so awesome last year. We won the forensic finals at state because of you."

C.J. shook her head.

"Nah, we had a great team," she said, "Joey was very good on the science stuff."

"I hope you reconsider. We could really use you….ooops got to run. I might be going out for the new musical."

It'd been like that all morning in between classes. Everyone running from one place to another, the pace of a new school year quick.

She'd seen Matt this morning…he went to school early for morning practice for football before the sun baked the area, like a wet blanket. He'd been picked out as starting quarterback and had put in extra hours to hone his skills. Matt was absolutely fearless. He'd just spent some weeks towards the end of summer climbing up Mt. McKinley up in Alaska with one of his father's old friends. Just after she'd celebrated her birthday. He'd always been a great athlete and all those years spent working the ranch built a body primed for different sports so he tried them all. But football was his greatest love, he had dreams of helping to score the winning touchdown at the Cotton Bowl.

He'd been so much in his life including his earliest years. Having a mama who gave birth to him and then died before he was old enough to remember her. He'd been kidnapped and what happened to him haunted him for years. She'd met him after that when they were both in the schoolyard. It hadn't taken them long to become best friends, being neighbors and all.

She still had to see Mrs. Wells so she'd better get going so she headed to that classroom.

* * *

><p>Matt had finished his morning practice and showered up. He'd done his chores helping Tex fix some railing near the barn. Barely time to get showered after practice and change into his school clothes.<p>

"Hey Matt…"

He looked up and saw Jack heading towards him.

"That arm of yours…hen those college scouts see it in action…"

Matt had heard that they liked him including at University of Texas and Rice University but they couldn't approach him yet under the rules.

"I've been working on it."

Jack smirked.

"You've been working on some other things?"

"Like what?"

"Like getting me a date with that friend of yours?"

Meaning C.J. who had been attracting guys as of late. She'd grown real pretty not that she hadn't always been but she'd filled out from being a skinny girl. Still it irritated him when his friends hit him up about her.

"She's been real busy with school and the ranch," he said, "Doesn't leave her with much time."

"She could make time. You're only a senior once."

Matt didn't think C.J. had even dated much. She kept to her studies and her activities with her friends when she wasn't working so damn hard. Now she was doing more time on his daddy's ranch to earn some extra money for her uncle. Bill had seen how the man had been struggling so he had offered the job and besides, his dad adored C.J. and had been worried about her for a while.

"I'm not asking for you if that's what you want," Matt said, "You'll have to ask her but you'd better be real nice about it."

Jack chuckled.

"You always get real edgy when anyone asks about her. We're not poaching on your turf are we?"

Matt shook his head. It hadn't anything to do with that. He…she were just friends. There'd been that one time…almost been that one time but it hadn't been repeated and he remembered how hurt she'd looked when he stopped them both. But whatever grief he caused, she appeared to get over it quickly.

She'd been quieter lately though and he'd seen her less when they hadn't been working together. But they'd both been so busy.

"You taking Crystal to the homecoming dance?"

That was a while off but Matt had already heard that she wanted him to take her. He'd be playing the big game and he knew some girls liked wearing a player on their arm.

"Maybe…"

"She's been talking about it all over school."

He'd broken up with Deanna before heading off to Alaska and by the time he got back, she'd been seeing some guy on the debate team who might run for student body president. So he'd been playing the field again being one of the big men on campus.

His father had told him to work hard on his studies, to not just rely on his golden arm so he'd been doing that too. His cousin Will who did ROTC had been bugging him to go into the Army after high school or college, on one big adventure to see the world.

He hadn't decided his future yet and saw no rush to do so. He wanted to have some fun too.

* * *

><p>C.J. stood by the doorway watching Mrs. Wells sort through some papers. She hadn't seen her yet and that meant that she had some time to reconsider and walk away. But then the teacher looked up and saw her. She smiled warmly.<p>

"Hello C.J. You're in my honors English I hope."

C.J. nodded entering the room.

"You need anything?"

C.J. took a deep breath having had a conversation in her mind that she'd rerun so many times it seemed ready…and yet. She bit her lip and smiled back instead which meant she'd forgotten it again.

"I was going to do some writing…to practice. I hadn't much time this past summer with working and all."

Mrs. Wells understood and opened up one of her drawers pulling out a piece of paper handing it to her.

"Here's some what are called writing prompts…to give you some ideas on what to write about…most of them have to do with questions about your life."

C.J. frowned as she read them.

"They look very personal…"

"That a problem for you? I can find another sheet."

C.J. shook her head quickly.

"No…no they are perfect," she said, "My life…I don't know if it fits…that's all."

She'd grown up not really knowing her parents…didn't have siblings…lived with an uncle who worked her harder than his hands…they didn't have much of anything…and then there was Tex waiting for her after school. After she did her chores which could only be dragged out so long.

"It's just practice until you get your first assignment next week."

C.J. nodded.

"I look forward to having you in my class. You have an amazing talent with words C.J."

The man who waited for her to come home told her she had other talents. But she looked at her teacher and forced a smile.

"Thanks…and I'll see you then."

She left the room, looking forward to her time late at night when she'd finally be able to do her writing.


	16. Chapter 16

_**Earlier**_

C.J. found herself writing about things that she shouldn't but she couldn't help herself. The words spilled out on the page once her mind released them. She'd never show anyone of course but sometimes…it was just so difficult to hide.

She had taken her laptop into the barn writing in the tack room tucked away where no one would come looking for her. Besides her guardians were off for the day going to look at some event. They took off so often these days not that she minded. She'd finished her own chores and didn't have to work at Matt's ranch.

She didn't have to work with him. But he'd called her asking for her to come over and help sort out the tangled up tack that had turned up in an old chest. She hadn't responded, she wouldn't respond. She wasn't going to go to do that chore.

Begging off of it wouldn't work. He'd cajole her into going over there. He had his ways of doing that. She just didn't know what to do. He never paid any attention to what she said anyway. He'd have his hands on her in nothing flat and…she didn't even want to finish. Sweat broke out on the back of her neck but she felt clammy. She'd been working so damn hard with chores on both ranches, the money Bill paid her going to help her guardians.

If only he were going to be at his ranch but he was in Tokyo on business and Matt, at football practice. The first game of the season would be in a week and he'd set his mind on the Cotton Bowl this week. She'd have her first debate in two weeks and had been practicing when she'd not been writing.

She heard footsteps and the wooden floor creak which made her freeze. Her fingers still on the keyboard.

Someone had come in the barn. Was it…had he come looking for her when she hadn't answered his phone calls to go work the ranch? No, he wouldn't do that would he? She had to find a place to hide from him and quick.

Maybe if she just stayed quiet…

"C.J. are you here?"

She relaxed immediately recognizing Matt's voice. She closed the lid on her computer and put it aside, getting up before he walked in the tack room.

"I'm here…just cleaning up a bit."

He walked into the room, his confident self. Sometimes he seemed older than his years and his eyes…they hid a lot of the trauma he'd faced as a little boy having been kidnapped. He'd told her about it when he hadn't been able to hide from himself any longer and seemed surprised that she didn't judge him for any of it. He'd just been a little boy after all, a target because of who his daddy was and what he represented.

C.J. had been under any such radar most of her life, parents died within a short time of each other, she'd never come from wealth, nothing special or remarkable out her at all.

But that had changed the moment the world called her beautiful. She didn't see it but she'd been called that and knew she attracted boy at school. But none of them awaited her at Matt's ranch.

"Why you here?"

She must have sounded a bit defensive which he caught. Matt didn't miss much of anything she noticed.

"Have to have a reason?"

She shook her head quickly.

"I just thought you'd be practicing."

"We quit early," he said, "Coach had a meeting."

She fell silent.

"He was looking for you…"

She glanced up at him.

"Who?"

"Tex…ran into him fixing some fence near the barn."

She shrugged.

"Just didn't feel like it," she said, "I'm tired and needed to do work here."

Matt nodded.

"You've been working for him three straight Saturdays…told him you might want one off."

She bit her lip, knowing that she hadn't really been working for very long those days. Tex had wanted her to do other things instead.

"Thanks…I don't know when I'll be able to go back to work there," she said, "I've got debate meets starting up soon."

"Don't worry about it," Matt said, "My daddy wants you to put school first. If you need anything…"

She smiled but shook her head.

"He's done so much for me already," she said, "Working for him makes it easier at home."

She'd grown close to Matt's only living parent and Bill had looked out after her, being the father figure she didn't have from her own family. He'd encouraged her to go into law, even set her up with a clerking job she'd do at nights during summers and vacations three days a week.

He'd hired Tex as his foreman and trusted him, a man who shouldn't be trusted. But she never told anyone about him…keeping it to herself and her writing.

She wanted to change the topic.

"So what's with you and Crystal," she said, "You taking her out?"

Matt shrugged. He had women flock to him like kittens to a bowl of milk. Every girl in high school had been wanting to go out with him at some point. You couldn't blame the guy for having his fun.

"We've been out a few times," he said, "She made the squad."

That didn't surprise C.J.

"She's been talking a lot about it. She says you're quite…good."

Matt sighed at that. He wasn't the type to kiss and tell for sure but that couldn't be said for some of the women he dated.

"It's just sex C.J."

She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Yeah I get that but it's easy for you to be so casual about it."

He didn't seem uncomfortable with the topic. He shrugged.

"It's just for fun."

"I just wish it were that easy."

He frowned at her suddenly.

"Why? How would you know? I haven't seen you dating."

She lifted her chin up.

"Been too busy with school and work Houston…I don't have time for boys."

What spare time she had was spent with Tex pleasing him…that's what it was about pleasing others right? It had been their secret.

Only it was breaking her inside.


	17. Chapter 17

She put her shirt back on, not looking at him as she did so. Her fingers shaky with the buttons. It seemed like she couldn't work them right and kept having to do them over.

"You have to head back home already."

She didn't look at him. She just concentrated on buttoning that shirt…so she'd feel less exposed. Underneath, she wore her lacy camisole that he'd bought for her at a boutique in town. She hadn't been with him of course. It'd been a gift only he pushed her to wear it in that way he did with anything.

"I asked you a question."

She nodded slightly then and finally, she had only two buttons left. She'd slipped her jeans back on over her hips and her shoes were on the floor near the bed.

"I have chores to do for my uncle," she said, "He doesn't like it when I'm late."

Tex seemed to think about that or something because he fell silent. She wanted to get up and just head on home. The shadows had overtaken the bedroom which told her she'd been there a couple of hours.

"So you'll be back tomorrow then?"

She bit her lip not wanting to think that far ahead.

"Why?"

"You know why…it's the weekend," he said, "You don't have school for two days."

She sighed trying to think.

"I got chores both days," she said, "and my uncle's holding a barbecue on Sunday for some cousins…visiting from Abilene."

She knew he didn't like that news but what did he expect her to say? She lived with her uncle because he was her only living kin and the state ordered it. In exchange, she practically ran the small spread for him. Just she and several hands, doing all the work.

"I got homework too," she said, "My English teacher gave me a list of topics to write about…for her class. She seems nice."

"You're careful what you write about aren't you," Tex said, "You're not writing about this…about us…"

She shook her head quickly.

"Better not be…you know how much I care about what happens to you," he said, "but if the authorities got wind…they'd take you out of your uncle's house and you'd wind up in a group home."

Her heart plunged every time she heard that hated word. She'd spent a couple of weeks living in one while waiting for the paperwork to be processed to place her with her uncle.

"I didn't…write anything," she said, "No one knows about…us…"

She stood up and smoothed her pants with her hands, not looking at him. The door remained several yards away waiting for her.

She'd been looking at it when she'd been on the bed earlier. Tex hadn't noticed, he'd been busy enough making himself happy. She just felt smothered by his bulk, honed by a life spent doing hard work in the outdoors.

His cologne, his breath but when she could see it, she watched the door. The one that would allow her to get away. At least for a while.

* * *

><p>C.J. looked over at Matt.<p>

"You're in Honors English?"

He waggled his brows at her in that way that drove her crazy.

"Don't act so surprised," he said, "I'm not just a jock who can throw a ball around."

She put one hand on a hip looking at him.

"I know that Houston…it just surprised me that all."

He looked around the room.

"So's the teacher nice or is she going to throw a lot of homework at us?"

C.J. smiled.

"She seems nice and yeah I imagine there's a lot of coursework given it's honors English. I started doing some of the writing exercises already."

Matt whistled.

"God you're intense…I mean we only get three months off for the summer. Don't know why you'd want to be spending that doing school work."

She harrumphed.

"Houston…some of us enjoying doing some learning even in the summer," she said, "I do ranching work most of the time…it's nice to take a break from it."

She had an edge of defensiveness that he might have heard in her voice.

"Okay…I get that. Maybe you can tutor me if you'd like…"

She tilted her face at him.

"I'm going out for the debate team again so I might not have much time."

Matt shook his head at her.

"Did I just say you were intense?"

She rolled her eyes at him.

"And you're not? Being an athlete doesn't make you the same way. That you don't want to take your talent and work and use it to get out of here?"

He looked taken aback and his eyes fixed on hers. Damn, she knew she'd said too much.

"C.J…you want to get out of here?"

She willed herself to be calm and just smile while idly pushing a tendril of hair out of her face.

"I mean…when we got to college of course."

He nodded.

"Going to be Rice for me," he said, "They got a top notch football program…good enough to go to the Cotton Bowl."

She knew that was a huge dream of his ever since he'd been a little boy. Matt saw the teacher and other students mill into the classroom to get started so he and C.J. took their seats near each other. He saw his best friend transition into her serious student mode attentive and confident enough to participate fully. He envied her that, he'd never felt too sure about his smarts.

But C.J., she led ever class he'd ever seen her in since going back to before junior high.

* * *

><p>Afterward they walked to the cafeteria to line up and get some food to take to one of the tables. Sure enough they'd gotten a list of books to read and two writing assignments. C.J. realized she'd already given herself a head start.<p>

Matt looked less than sure.

"So we got to write about our earliest memories…"

She nodded.

"Back when we're babies? C.J. I don't remember back that far…"

She laughed.

"Then try elementary school…"

She knew about the experience he had that he'd never ever forget but the assignment had been to write about something pleasant.

Back when her father had been alive and her mother…they'd gone to the beach during the summer season and stayed in a small bungalow, the three of them all together. She saw images in her mind, the sounds of children playing, water splashing and the smell of the salt on the breeze and barbecued meat.

Yes, she'd write about that.

"You coming over to help us with the fencing?"

She glanced over at him.

"I…I don't know…I guess…"

He narrowed his eyes.

"You doing okay," he said, "If you don't want to come over…"

She shook her head quickly.

"Oh no…I'll be there," she said, "Nine sharp."

She'd be there too only she didn't want to be alone with Tex. Maybe she'd work with Matt instead. He'd never know why of course that she preferred it that way.

Some secrets after all were just never meant to be told.


	18. Chapter 18

**Earlier…**

She's been paired with Matt to split some rail on the far side of his daddy's ranch and the two of them saddled their horses to ride out to the northern boundary near some foothills. Her mare showed some spirit this morning and she took off galloping with Matt on her heels.

Anything to get away from the pressures of the past week. She'd had three midterm exams and two research papers not to mention the extra work she did in Honors English. But there had been some exciting developments as well.

Mrs. Wells had started a special club after school for female students to get together and discuss issues that impacted them. She spoke of the role of women in history and literature and of something called the feminist movement which fought for women's rights beginning in the 1960s.

C.J. dropped off the debate team to participate in the club and Mrs. Wells took them on field trips to see female music ensembles, films about women made by women and even a visit with a female state prosecutor working in the Houston office. C.J. had told her about her plans to become a lawyer eventually and the prosecutor, Dianne encouraged her to apply to some of the best programs in the country including Harvard, Stanford and Yale.

Scholarships and financial aid programs were available for students unable to afford tuition. She could start by getting her bachelor's degree at a state university. To C.J. it sounded like a plan and Mrs. Wells told her she'd help her with her applications.

During the day when she was at school, everything felt normal, almost like her life was an ordinary one. She felt good about herself until it was time to go back home at the end of the day.

Then the fear returned. When she shut her eyes to escape, it followed her into her dreams. She pushed it away as best she could to pass the time until it was time to spend each day in her one safe haven.

"It's right up ahead…"

She looked over and saw Matt point out to the rail that had come apart off the fence. The wood most likely warped by the climate. They both stopped and slid off their horses tying the reins to a nearby dogwood tree.

They made a good team working together and they chatted easily enough about midterms and some letters he'd gotten from athletic recruiters including from Rice University.

"So where you going to go?"

He sighed, pulling off the rest of the rotting wood.

"I don't know…I'd love to go to Rice but Will's heading off to Texas A&M for the ROTC program."

She smiled knowing how badly Will had wanted to enlist after graduation but Uncle Roy had said he should wait until after getting a university degree.

"Sounds like you both have it figured out," she said, "I want to go to Harvard or Yale for law school but I'm staying here for my undergrad."

They went to take the measurements for the replacement wood.

"Is that what Mrs. Wells said to do?"

She shrugged.

"I don't have the money to go outside of a state school…"

"My daddy will pay for your education," he said, "You're a daughter to him."

She smiled, because she loved Matt's family as much as they did her. But she didn't want to take money from anyone. She'd go to school full time and between financial aid and perhaps clerking part-time at a law office, she'd come up with the money.

"I'll be fine…and I can get scholarship money for law school."

She didn't grow up in a wealthy family like he did though she didn't begrudge him that in the least. He'd been her best friend most of her life.

When they finished the measurements for three areas of broken fencing for replacement wood, it was time to head on back.

"I've got to drop off Bourbon here and head on to meet with the Rice recruiter."

She smiled.

"I'd wish you good luck but you don't need it."

He got aboard Bourbon and tugged on the reins.

"I'm not ready to sign but it's on my top three…"

She chuckled.

"You know it's your top choice but they won't hear about it from me."

They rode on together taking their time with their horses heading on back.

"Tex and Will probably beat us."

C.J. didn't respond to that, focusing on the scenery around her. Matt glanced over at her.

"You're awfully quiet…what you thinking about?"

She couldn't ever tell him so she made something up.

"About midterms…results this week."

"You know you aced them all," he said, "You always do."

She sighed.

"I don't know about physics. I studied all weekend for that one."

"Aced that one too I bet…"

She smiled at his confidence in her as they saw the barn and paddock area ahead of them. She sobered up quickly enough when she saw both Tex and Will there chatting by the corral. They looked up when she and Matt rode up into the clearing.

* * *

><p>True to his word, Matt took off for his meeting with the recruiter. She headed back to the barn to unsaddle both of their horses and to feed and water them. She kept hers overnight at his place because they'd be putting in some early hours tomorrow to finish changing out the fencing.<p>

They both nickered when she gave them some food, and settled down to eat while she went to the shed to clean off her bridle and reins. She'd been meaning to do it for a while but had been so busy.

Untangling the reins and then using the special cleaning agent on it kept her busy…so buy she hadn't noticed the footsteps outside the door.

When they reached the door, she froze.

"Will?"

She hoped it would be him but she knew in an instant she was wrong. Tex stood there in the doorway, looking at her.

"So there you are…I'd hoped we'd be riding as a team today but I heard you picked Matt instead."

She put the reins down.

"I didn't pick anyone," she said, "Slim picked the teams."

He took a step inside and closed the door behind him.

"I think you've been avoiding me…"

She felt her mouth go dry the way he looked at her right now.

"No…no I haven't…I've been so busy…"

He nodded.

"Busy in school passing all your classes so you can get out of here…"

She shook her head.

"No…I want to be a lawyer someday," she said, "and I need good grades."

He took another step towards her and her heart began to pound, her palms to sweat.

"Well you know what they say about all work and no play darling…"

She bristled.

"Don't call me that…"

"Don't call you what…darling? I can call you whatever I want…that's what lovers do…"

"We're not…"

He slid his arms around her waist before she knew it and drew her close to him.

"Oh yes we are…and since we've been missing out on the past few days," he said, "I want to start making up for lost time…"

She felt that part of him against her and she wanted to shrink away from it…and him. He kissed her mouth hard, trying to separate her lips and slid his hand underneath her shirt.

"You know you want it and I don't got much time…but I'll make sure you make time for me…come on now I'm just teaching you how it is between a man and a woman…"

She gasped underneath his mouth, her skin flinching where his hands palmed her breasts sheathed by lace.

"I don't hurt you do I…do I…"

"Tex…I can't…my uncle…"

Grasping at any excuse to get away from him. But he wasn't hearing it. It'd been four days since they'd been alone and she knew he'd grown determined.

"Your uncle has an old warrant against him…and I'm protecting him you know that don't you? I'm looking out for you because he can't."

She closed her eyes as his fingers moved to the snap on her jeans. Soon enough the worn denim would be sliding down her legs.

"I want in you the worst way darling…now you go into the room next door…you take off those clothes and you get on that cot…understand…?"

She just stood there not able to move. She didn't want to put another closed door between them and the rest of the world.

"I told you what I wanted you to do, now do it…"

She shook her head mutely even though she knew by now it was useless.

"I can do it for you…you know that don't you?"

She nodded slowly.

"I'll be in there in five minutes…and you'll be waiting…"

She walked slowly into the room turning her back to him and did as he told her to do, with shaky hands and feeling sick to her stomach. She had stopped dry retching but after removing her clothes, she lay down on the cot, her head turned to the side, eyes closed and waited.

The creaking of the door, the footsteps, the sound of a zipper being drawn down its track, the way his boots hit the floor. The creaking of the cot from his body weight. The feel of his callused hands parting her thighs…the heaviness of his muscled body between them.

From someplace up high she watched the grown man who'd once mentored her rutting against the supine body of the young woman she once knew.

God, if she didn't find a way to escape, he'd keep carving away a piece of here until there was nothing left.


	19. Chapter 19

C.J. grabbed her chest with her hand, waking up alone in her bed. She frantically sucked air inside her lungs to offset the tingling in her arms and legs.

Some memory she'd kept buried in her past had slipped out of its hiding place to return to haunt her. The day in the barn, the one that had started out so wonderful in its ordinariness with Matt and her riding out to repair split fencing. She'd been so relieved that Slim had teamed her with him rather than Tex.

But the foreman had made up for time missed with her. He hadn't kept her in the groom's room very long, it had only just felt like forever. She closed herself off from everything and everyone when he used her body. He didn't like it but he hadn't found a way to stop that yet.

She had kept it a secret from the rest of the world. But now she had told it to the one person she trusted most in the world with it. She'd been so afraid to tell him back then, she had thought her whole world would come crashing down if she did.

Soon after Tex had delivered on his threat to make sure she spent more time with him. Now she knew she wouldn't get back to sleep. She had to go meet with Roxie the victim/witness advocate assigned to Lindsey in the morning to see how the girl was handling it. After that she had a meeting with Miranda the prosecutor who would be handling the case in its earliest stages for her office.

She got out of bed and reached for her blue robe to go out and make herself some tea. The rain still streamed down the window but it'd be like that for a couple days at least. Matt had headed towards his own bedroom and had likely fallen asleep right off as he'd been tired. She knew that it was hard for him to grapple with the reality that his close friend and mentor had done something so awful…and she hadn't even told him the whole story yet.

Very few people knew all of that and only enough to help protect her in ways she hadn't explained to Matt either.

Damn life could be so complicated at times. She brewed herself some tea and then sat down on the chaise wrapping her arms around herself as she waited for it to cool a bit. The howling wind outside and the spattering of rain.

A good time to drink it.

"Hey you want some company?"

She looked up to see Matt approaching her wearing a robe over his pajama bottoms. She doubt he really slept in them but was deferring to sharing the room with a woman he hadn't slept with yet anyway.

"Sure I couldn't sleep. Must have been all that delicious dessert."

He went to go pour himself some juice. Freshly squeezed guava juice with pineapple and mango mixed in, which he loved. Roy was a pro at making it but the hotel's own version would do in a pinch. Then he sat down next to her.

"You nervous about today?"

She reached for her cup of tea but just stared at it.

"C.J…Just tell me. I'm not worried about Tex. I'm worried about you."

She heard the concern laced in his voice.

"I was worried about you back then…I just didn't know what to do."

She glanced at him.

"Houston you didn't know…"

He shook his head.

"But I know you enough to know when something's not right…especially with everything that happened."

"You mean when I got sick."

She sipped her tea and then put it back on the table.

"You were saying at our house and then one day, you were moved someplace else."

He looked at her so carefully as if almost expecting her to crack in some way, this layer she had built between herself and everyone else…including him.

"You never went back to live with your uncle."

She shook her head and reached to sip her tea again. No, the last time she'd been at her uncle's house was when she ran away, just ran with no plan on where to go or what to do.

"When I asked Daddy, he wouldn't tell me much, just that you were going to be okay from that point on."

She leaned back against the chaise.

"Bill helped me…along with others," she said, "My uncle couldn't take care of me the way I needed to be and so they petitioned the court to grant custody of me to Mrs. Wells until I turned 18."

Matt paused for a long moment.

"Did Daddy know…?"

She nodded.

"So when Tex had to leave to tend to some family business in Mexico that wasn't the real reason?"

"No…they didn't want my life disrupted any more than it was Houston…I was pretty sick for a while and I just wanted him gone away so he wouldn't hurt me. I know I should have been strong enough to file a complaint with the police but I was so messed up…and it took everything I had inside me to pull myself together to try to build my life again."

She felt the effort in her throat of just trying to speak now words later.

"Now though with Lindsey…I think if I just did something more, anything…she might not have been hurt by him."

She put her head in her hands breathing heavily and she felt him rub her back with his hand in that soothing way he had when she needed it.

"You did all you could C.J…I just wish I could have been there for you when you were going through all that."

She smiled.

"But you were Houston…you were my best friend and you helped me a lot…more than I think you know."

She didn't know if she could have made it without him. Even though she couldn't tell him the truth about Tex. Bill knew his son would react and without meaning to, might make the situation even worse. It had been the right decision.

"Did anyone else know?"

She sighed.

"I told Carl a little bit…not many personal details…he was my first boyfriend in college after it happened. I loved him…losing him was so hard."

He remembered how tough it had been her to mourn his loss after he'd been killed by her stalker, Christian Dean.

"I'm sorry…"

They'd found an engagement ring in a box among his things but she didn't tell him that. She started to get up.

"I guess I'd better try to get some sleep."

"You dreams woke you up?"

She just stared at him but she finally nodded.

"It was that day that we split fence on the north side and you had to meet with the recruiter from Rice…"

"Yeah I remember that day," he said, "Promised me the world but all I wanted to do was to get that Cotton Bowl ring."

She looked at her hands.

"I was alone in the barn and well he found me there and…"

She started to shield her face with her hand but he pulled it away and drew her into his arms, holding her tightly.

"By then I just did what he told me and prayed it'd be over soon…"

She relaxed in his arms then and tucked her head against his chest and he pulled her back with him against the chaise.

"Why don't we just stay here for a while okay?"

She nodded against his body, feeling safe with him until daybreak.


	20. Chapter 20

_**Earlier…**_

They'd found her in the edge of the pasture, under a tree and someone had scooped her up and put her on a horse to take her back to the ranch house. She'd remembered trying to pull away from the figure thinking it was him that had found her.

She'd run away without thinking. Not knowing where she'd go just that she had to get away so fast. Before…she closed her eyes to think about it.

Then she woke up in bed, with the sheets tucked up around her and her head resting on a pillow. She felt a heaviness on her hand and saw an IV bottle on a stand and yet…she didn't feel like she was in a hospital.

"C.J…"

She narrowed her eyes trying to focus them and saw her vision sharpen even further. That's when she knew she was at the house where Matt lived with his father.

"Where am I?"

He had reached for her other hand and wrapped his fingers around it.

"You're at my house…you were in the hospital but Daddy thought you'd get better here. You got real sick."

She remembered not feeling well for quite a while and thinking…she closed her eyes not wanting to think about it or remember. His hand felt good wrapped around her own and she smiled at him.

"How you feeling?"

She sighed. Weakness inundated her and she'd been sweating. But she felt less hazy and out of it like she'd been when…before the world had gone dark on her.

"Better Houston…just real tired."

He brushed some hair off her forehead and it felt so soothing. She soon closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

She woke up and felt better. It'd been like that for days and nights that blended in together. She'd wake up for a while and then drift off again. A lot of the time Matt would be sitting there, or his father. The doctor woke her up a couple times examining her and prescribing more medication mostly antibiotics.

"What's wrong with me?"

He looked at her, his eyes sympathetic.

"You had an ovarian cyst that had burst," he said, "That caused the immense pain you were feeling over time. But when we found the cyst, we found an infection…"

"What kind of infection?"

The doctor sighed.

"Pelvic inflammatory disease…it's a condition that can become acute over time but yours hadn't reached that point. It was a so-called silent infection. Fortunately we caught it before it could have caused you real damage but it was causing the fevers you experienced. After some rest…and more antibiotics you should make a complete recovery…"

She nodded digesting the information.

"You're lucky…it could have gotten bad enough to render you infertile or even caused septicemia."

Something occurred to her.

"Will I…be able to…?"

He finished for her.

"Have children?"

She nodded.

"Yes…like I said, you avoided permanent damage including scarring. You had chlamydia for a period of time."

"Chlamydia?"

"Yes…it's a bacterial infection that's transmitted through unprotected sexual intercourse."

Her face burned when she heard that. She knew what the next question would be and she braced herself.

"You likely received it from your sexual partner…he should be notified of course that he's a carrier. I can do that for you or you do it yourself."

She pursed her lips…no way was she going to do that. No one must ever know.

"I'll…I'll do it."

He nodded and then he left her. Matt waited until he left and then walked into the room. She smiled when she saw him and patted the side of her bed. He climbed up on top of the covers and she snuggled up to him. He wrapped his arm around her, knowing that the simple act helped make her feel safer.

He just didn't know from what but he wanted to find out.

* * *

><p>Bill and Claudia Wells, the English teacher sat in the other room. Bill, Roy and Flo had invited her for dinner to discuss C.J. and what would happen to her after she'd felt better.<p>

"I don't think she should go back to her uncle," Flo said, "He wasn't taking good care of her. She was exhausted by the workloads on both ranches along with everything else."

Bill nodded.

"I'd be willing to petition the state courts to challenge the guardianship. But I need more grounds than just neglect."

Flo sighed.

"You heard what the doctor said. She was having a physical relationship with someone and no one seems to know anything about it. Matt and Will knew nothing and they're close friends. She changes the subject when it comes up."

Bill shook his head.

"Matt told me she hasn't been the same in quite a while…almost a year."

Claudia spoke up.

"She's doing well in all her classes," she said, "She's been active in school clubs including my rap group with other girls."

Flo clasped her hands together.

"So she seems fine…"

Claudia shook her head.

"No…she's been writing a lot and I've seen some of it," she said, "This isn't a teenaged romance with two kids fooling around. There's a grown man involved and she's afraid of him I think. She's had nightmares in the hospital and here… and before all this happened."

"What do you mean?"

Claudia looked at Flo.

"She was running away when she got found and attacked the men who were trying to help her. All that…I think she was raped and it was ongoing."

The other three looked at her horrified.

"Oh god," Flo said, "the poor child…who would do such a thing?"

"I don't know…she's never talked about anyone specifically," Claudia said, "She needs to see someone who can help her before whatever happens scars her for the rest of her life."

They all nodded.

"I want her to come stay with me," Claudia said, "I think whoever did it is someone in the ranching community. I live apart from all that and could provide a safer place for her."

Flo frowned.

"We could do that for her here."

"With all due respect, you didn't," Claudia said, "not that it was deliberate…you just didn't know. I just think that I can provide a good home for her until she's 18. It'll get her away from this man whoever he is…and maybe with some distance she'll tell me who did it…who's been doing it."

Roy nodded.

"I think you're right…and she should live with you. I know a good trauma psychiatrist who could help her deal with what happened. She lives in a neighboring town but I know she'd be willing to evaluate her."

Claudia nodded.

"Sounds like a plan," she said, "I'll get ready for the social worker interview. It'd be easier if we could get her uncle to sign away his guardianship."

Bill spoke up.

"I can do that…she deserves much better than him."

Tex walked into the room. Bill looked up at him.

"What is it?"

"I finished sorting through the yearlings," he said, "I'll start in on the mares that will be picked up tomorrow for the sale."

Bill nodded.

"My son will help you….thanks for taking care of all that."

Tex smiled.

"No problem…I know you're all busy here."

Tex left and they returned to putting together a plan to help someone they all loved have a better life.


	21. Chapter 21

C.J. brought the two suitcases and backpack which held all her possessions into her new home. Actually she'd tried to carry them but Matt had insisted on taking the suitcases leaving her with the backpack. He'd promised to help her get settled in her new placement after Claudia had successfully appealed along with Bill to have her guardianship with her uncle revoked.

Her uncle had actually put up only a token resistance after Bill and Roy talked with him. He signed the papers and Claudia underwent the process with the social worker. C.J. had been emotional when she'd found out the news. She'd gone inside her room at the Houston ranch and refused to see anyone for the rest of the day until Matt sweet talked his way in there.

"I don't know if I can do it," she said, "What about my mare?"

Matt sat on the edge of her bed.

"She'll be fine here with Bourbon and the others and you can come out here and ride and visit whenever you want. Daddy said our home will always be open to you and we mean it."

She nodded digesting that. Matt didn't know the whole story of what had happened to her particularly in the last month and she wanted to keep it that way. No one knew all the details but Bill and Claudia and the adults had figured out enough to take action.

"I got to stay with Mrs. Wells and see some shrink," she said, "Court order so I don't have any choice."

"Daddy and them…they just want to help you," Matt said, "You were real sick and we all just want you to get better."

"I am better. The doctor said I'm doing just fine."

Matt had hedge and she wondered how much he'd guessed. He'd always been real perceptive when it came to her. But he didn't know everything…

They'd settled in her new bedroom at Claudia's spacious house and she saw that her teacher raised puppies out back, retrievers and grew a large vegetable and herbal garden. She told C.J. that she'd be relying on her help with them and that made C.J. feel a little better. She'd grown up doing chores and would be at a loss without any to do…but she wouldn't be overwhelmed with them.

That first night they made dinner together in the kitchen. Claudia made fajitas with corn tortillas fresh and C.J. focused on the salad using vegetables picked from the garden.

C.J. had been preoccupied with her first appointment with the shrink she'd be seeing in the morning. A woman named Jackie who was supposed to be excellent. She didn't know what she was supposed to talk about with her.

They both took their dinner out with cream sodas out to the deck overlooking the backyard area.

"It's a pretty night," Claudia said, "Tomorrow I was thinking we could go do some shopping…in case you want to decorate your room."

C.J. fidgeted with her fork.

"I have to go see the therapist."

"Plenty of time afterward. Then get some lunch."

C.J. nodded and then started eating her food

"I don't know what I'm supposed to tell the therapist…"

Claudia sipped her soda.

"Anything you want…You can tell him about your dreams you've been having."

C.J. sighed.

"More like nightmares…that won't go away."

"Talk about them," Claudia said, "Roy said this therapist is very good at helping people deal with traumatic events."

"I have to see her. I don't have a choice."

"The judge issued that order because you need to talk about what happened to you with someone who can help you…and someone who's not personally involved in your life."

"I can't tell anyone."

"Yes you can…C.J. don't you think you've carried this secret inside you long enough?"

C.J. paused.

"How much do you know?"

Claudia took a deep breath and exhaled it slowly.

"I know that your uncle didn't take good care of you," she said, "He worked you to death…and everything you were doing for everyone else…it'd make me exhausted just thinking about it."

C.J. shrugged.

"It's just chores…that's all…I could handle that and more."

"Maybe…for the short term but the doctor said you were worn out…and that's not the only problem…that you got sick."

C.J. just looked at her plate.

"I know…"

"There's a grown man in the picture here," Claudia said, "I think you're afraid of him. I think that's why you're having nightmares."

"I'm not going to talk about…how do you know what happened anyway?"

"What you wrote…that provided some clues," Claudia said, "You're a gifted writer C.J."

"I shouldn't have written anything at all…it got me into all this trouble."

Claudia smiled.

"No…you're not in any trouble…you're not living with your uncle because he's not a suitable guardian for you. You're with me to get you out of that environment and away from him."

"I can handle myself…"

"You were running away from him that day weren't you?"

C.J. didn't say anything.

"You don't have to tell me who he is or his name if you don't want but if he does approach you again, I want you tell someone."

C.J. just looked at her doubtfully.

"I tried that…he told me no one would care."

"He's wrong C.J."

"He told me that at my birthday party….I didn't want to be alone with him."

* * *

><p>Matt had finished his chores in the barn and tended to the horses before heading off to do his homework. He had to catch up because he'd been so busy with double practices for football.<p>

Tex walked into the barn leading his gelding.

"You still here?"

Matt nodded.

"I'll patch up the corral gate and then I'm heading on out of here."

"I'll help when I'm done feeding the horses."

Tex went outside to start his work. Bo another one of his daddy's hands walked in carrying an alfalfa bale.

"Tex still here?"

"Patching up the gate?"

Bo's brow furrowed as he put the bale down.

"I thought he'd be out with his girlfriend or she'd be here."

Matt looked at the hand in surprise.

"I didn't know he had one," he said, "Daddy's been working him hard as the foreman. Doesn't leave him much free time."

Bo smiled.

"Oh he's got one. He's been hot and heavy with some girl for a while now. A couple of times right here in this barn."

That surprised Matt. He hadn't seen or heard anything about that.

"In the barn?"

Bo nodded.

"Some of the hands have seen her…not close up," he said, "They go in the groom's room most likely…or his place."

Matt sighed.

"Does Daddy know?"

"I don't think so…he's usually out of town on business…but Houston it's harmless. A man has to have his fun who works as hard as he does every day."

Matt figured Bo was probably right. The man had done so much for his daddy and him and had been instrumental in building the ranch to a success.

* * *

><p>"He waited until we were alone together," she said, "I'd had some wine by that point and he said he'd drive me home after we cleaned up the guesthouse where I had my party."<p>

"They left you alone with him?"

She nodded as she sat with Claudia on the deck.

"Houston wanted to spend time with his daddy before he flew to Tokyo on business. I didn't want him to go but I knew how much that time means to him. After he left the man…he made his move. I was looking out the window watching Houston go and he came up behind me…started kissing my neck after brushing my hair aside…sliding my dress up. I just wanted him to go."

"But he didn't…did he?"

"No…he said he had my present for me in the other room. Something real special."


	22. Chapter 22

C.J. woke up the morning listening to the rain pattering on the window and was all business. She knew that she had to get showered and dressed to make her meeting with Miranda and Roxie at the D.A.'s office.

She extricated herself from Matt's embrace which of course woke him up. He stretched.

"What time is it?"

She walked to the wet bar to get some coffee started.

"About 7:30…we've got to make that appointment and we don't know what the streets are like."

Matt looked and saw that it was still raining hard.

"You shower first," he said, "I'll call up for room service. Omelets sound good?"

She smiled at him.

"They sound great. Some burnt hash browns on the side."

He picked up a phone and she headed to the shower. The warm water felt good cascading over her, wiping out the rest of the sleepiness from her. She'd slept fitfully what with some nagging dreams. Sometimes the past just couldn't stay buried. But she'd willingly face her own if it'd help Lindsey.

After all she'd been about her age when it'd started happening to her. If it hadn't been for that morning she'd gotten up and decided to run while it'd been storming like now she didn't know what would happen to her.

She got out of the shower and grabbed her wrap to go change into some comfortable clothes, jeans and a cotton jersey. Matt had already started spreading out the food on the table in front of the chaise when she walked out into the lounge area.

"It smells delicious..."

She sat down as he served her a plate. They ate both enjoying their meal.

"I hope I say something to them that can help her."

Matt looked up at her.

"Just tell her what happened with Tex," he said, "If they hear it from someone else then that'll lend evidence to Lindsey's story."

"God I wish I'd done more than just run away."

He rubbed one of her shoulders with his hand. She felt her muscles relax as she glanced up at him.

"C.J you were a teenager yourself," he said, "You did what you could…you got away from him."

She nodded.

"Claudia helped me so much. I know it wasn't easy. I sure wasn't easy. I didn't even want to go to therapy."

"Did it help?"

She considered that.

"It helped me survive. I guess that's something. So did you make your phone calls?"

He sipped his coffee.

"Yeah…Uncle Roy is handling the caseload and Will dropped by to help him out," he said, "When he's not working at the Veteran's Center."

"He's in between semesters in his MSW program?"

Matt nodded and she smiled.

"He'll make a great trauma counselor," she said, "He's come such a long way since…"

She knew he meant the terrible day when Will had almost decided to end it all by leaping off of the tallest skyscraper in downtown L.A.

"Chris is going back to school next semester at UCLA. She wants to take the MFA program."

Matt arched his brows upward.

"She wants to be a writer?"

C.J. snorted.

"She already is…you didn't know her first novel, _When Passions Collide_, is already number one at Amazon and Barnes and Noble's? Courtney Gaynor ripped it in her blog but that just made more people buy it."

"Courtney Gaynor…is she?"

The blonde mystery writer with the itchy fingers when it came to Matt.

"One and the same…"

He grimaced.

"Every time I think of her my face hurts…"

She chuckled. She enjoyed sitting back with him eating great food and laughing, forgetting the seriousness of the day that awaited them. One reason why the idea of taking things a step further from her appealed to her…when it didn't scare her.

* * *

><p>They headed on out into the rain to his car and drove to the prosecutor's office. After parking, they noticed another car parked with a man inside of it.<p>

He seemed to be reading a newspaper. Inside they ran into Miranda, the prosecutor who shook hands with them.

"I think you can help us build a case against him," she said, "You see Lindsey's got a bit of a problem with her record so by herself…"

C.J. sighed.

"It shouldn't make any difference."

Miranda nodded.

"I agree but my boss…he thinks differently," She said, "He wants us to build cases we can win and Tex…he's got some standing that's going to be hard to damage through her testimony."

"So you want mine?"

Miranda looked at both of them.

"I want to talk with you first if that's okay…it shouldn't take too long."

Matt took that as his hint to leave. He nodded.

"I'll see you in a while okay?"

She smiled.

"I'll be fine. You find us a place for lunch later on."

He left and Miranda turned towards C.J.

"He your boyfriend?"

C.J. smiled again.

"Yeah…now but we've been friends since we were kids."

"Seems like a nice man…"

"He's the best. He was one major reason why my run in with Tex didn't screw me up."

Miranda took a deep breath and exhaled it.

"Okay let's go talk about Tex…so he started in on young girls years ago?"

C.J. leaned back in her chair looking at both women. Roxie had joined them after checking in with where Lindsey had been staying.

"So how long did he molest you once he got started?"

C.J. furrowed her brow.

"Nine months…seemed like much longer than that."

She watched Miranda jot it down along with other notations on a notepad.

"The first time was after you sought shelter for that tornado?"

C.J. nodded.

"I mean yes…though the tornado had dissipated by then," she said, "He wouldn't let me leave…said we had to wait until it stopped raining."

"So he wouldn't let you leave…"

"No…yes…I didn't push the issue. He seemed to know the right way to handle emergencies like storms and tornados."

Miranda wrote down more notes.

"He told me after…no one would believe me and they'd take me away from my uncle. He's the only family I had left."

* * *

><p>Matt looked out into the parking lot and saw the sedan parked there. He started walking towards it to check it out but then its engine started and it pulled out of the parking spot to head on out of the lot. He watched it go but couldn't make a face out in the rain.<p>

Then he saw something on the ground and went over to pick it up.


	23. Chapter 23

C.J. sat on her bed, knowing Claudia would be reminding her soon enough it was time to see the therapist again. She didn't look forward to it, the couple of appointments so far just left her feeling frustrated.

No doubt the therapist had been frustrated too because she hadn't wanted to talk. She sat there looking at the woman sitting in a chair studying her with her notepad waiting for her to say something. Only C.J. didn't know what this woman wanted her to say.

She did know what she didn't want to talk about yet the courts…they'd sent her to this woman to talk about what some man had done to her. The man she'd trusted and once idolized. The man who'd taken it upon himself to break her in as his own and use her until the day he decided he'd be done with her.

Tex…he hadn't tried to contact her since she'd moved in with Claudia and gotten away from her uncle's house. She guessed he knew what Bill Houston would do to him if he tried anything. Bill and Claudia and Roy and his wife Flo had been instrumental in putting her where she was right now.

The chores that Claudia assigned her kept her busy after she'd finished her homework including in Honors English. She'd buried herself in it to stop from thinking…and if it worked but at night her guard came down when she slept. More often than not she'd wake up suddenly wrapped in damp sheets clutching at her chest to stop her racing heart.

She guessed she should share that with the counselor but she didn't want to talk about that. It'd make things more complicated, that was all and she felt out of control enough as it was in her life. She'd felt tempted to put her feelings into words but stopped herself each time…holding back. Her words had gotten her into this mess after all.

No, she had to correct herself. It was Tex's fault for what he did to her. What happened between them in the tack room in the barn or inside his cabin when he grew more brazen and determined. Each time she surrendered herself to him she thought he'd tire of her and move on but that hadn't happened.

"You ready to go yet?"

Claudia's words rang in her ears and she didn't answer. Damn it, she didn't want to go to some shrink and talk about her feelings. It wouldn't change anything. It wouldn't undo what had happened to her those months. It'd just make the courts feel as if they were doing something useful.

She sat up on her bed.

"I'll be ready in a sec. I just got to finish up some trig problems."

A lie of course but anything to delay what was coming. The counselor pressed her more and more for what had happened between her and Tex. What did this woman want? Every lurid detail about what the ranch hand supervisor had done to her beginning the day of the tornado? What good would it do to talk about that?

She'd never planned to do those things with any guy…not until much later. She wasn't as eager as other girls in her class to do those things. She wanted to fall in love first as silly as that might sound to others around her. That way, it'd have some meaning.

But now…she shook off that thought by getting out of bed and reaching for her sweater. The days had been nippier in late afternoon as winter approached again.

She'd pick her least pretty sweater…the brown one that nearly overwhelmed her. It went well with her faded jeans and boots.

Claudia poked her head in the room.

"We can stop and pick up some lunch on the way," she said, "at that burger joint."

C.J. just nodded. Her stomach never felt like it could hold food but she'd go through the motions.

"I know she'll want you to bring your journal and talk about it…"

C.J. sighed, trying to remember where she left it. Sure she jotted some incoherent thoughts about what she felt about anything except when it mattered. Those nights she lay back in her bed and waited for his shadowy figure to emerge from the darkness before she drifted off to sleep.

"I'll be there in a sec…"

Claudia smiled and left the room to wait for her.

* * *

><p>Matt gazed up at his cousin Will when he approached from the other side of the corral. They'd been working a couple of yearlings on a lounge for Matt's father. The yearling was now munching on some alfalfa while the two men headed back to the barn.<p>

"Houston…he looks great," Will said, "You sure know how to pick them."

Matt shrugged.

"He's a project for the county fair. I should get a good price for him at auction. Anyone out looking for a good roping horse."

Will chuckled and slapped his cousin on the back.

"You're modest enough…"

Matt just shrugged again.

"Like I said, I hope to get a good price for him…"

They walked together in silence for a moment as the sunlight faded around them. Until Will spoke up again.

"Houston…I haven't seen C.J. around as much."

Matt tensed.

"Because she's living with a teacher in town…"

"Yeah I know but still…I know my daddy had something to do with that," Will continued, "but he won't tell me nothing."

Matt stuck his hands in his pocket.

"Maybe nothing to tell…Daddy's keeping mum on it. Someone hurt her but no one will talk about it."

Will nodded thoughtfully.

"You know I'd break the neck of anyone who'd think about hurting her. I guess they got their reasons for keeping it all secret."

Matt guessed that too but didn't like it.

"I guess so and she's not talking about it."

Will shrugged.

"Why would she Houston? I just hope she's okay whatever is going on. She's a great ranchhand."

"She's more than that…"

Will caught his gaze.

"Yeah I know…speaking of which. Where's Tex and what's he been up to lately? Haven't seen him around."

That puzzled Matt too. He had noticed that his mentor had dropped off the face of the earth….without much of an explanation.

"I guess he took another job elsewhere."

Will just looked at him as if he were a simpleton.

"You really believe that don't you?"

Matt narrowed his eyes.

"Yeah I do…what you saying I shouldn't?"

Will sighed.

"I'm not telling you how to believe at all. I just find it strange he's taken off like that all of a sudden."

They headed into the barn to go tend to the horses in the stalls.

"I still don't get it," Matt said, "You're acting like Tex did something wrong."

Will shook his head.

"Didn't say that. I just think it's a bit strange he left mid-season. Almost in the dead of night. Almost as if…"

Someone interrupted them and it was Bo walking towards them to tell them that one of the calves had gotten through a broken fence onto neighboring property. So Matt and Will went to saddle up their horses to go find it and bring it back.

Their conversation quickly forgotten.


End file.
